THE QUEEN AND HER IRON CASTLE
by WestiDisc
Summary: Ashadon never wanted to grow up to run a kingdom, she just wanted a simple life where she'd do simple things. Luckily for her, the gods seem to have her interests in mind, but wishes don't come without a twist or two. Come on and join the ride in a very...'extravagant' journey across Skyrim with with some very 'extravagant' people. ;}
1. Prologue

**(Disclaimer, I don't own any references like characters or places or actions that take place in the original Skyrim: The Elder Scrolls. Legit I literally own nothing like stocks or shares, I only own a copy of the game. Plus you'll come to find that because this is a fanfic that I've changed some things such as faction alignments and possibly existing factions and may have even made some new ones. With everything I've planned out for this story I wasn't even sure if I should've published on fanfic or fiction because so much is changed but maps and history prior to the events of Skyrim I kept the same. Should also be noted that I'm not really consistent in publishing and working so Chapters will come painfully slow unless I get hit with some die hard feels to write. This is my first story to be going up on fanfic and I gladly welcome the criticism as most would. K, finale thing I need to mention, I think, my writing/word choice doesn't really match up with what might be said in Skyrim. It's definitely more of a modern style spliced with Skyrim dialect. Without further ado, enjoy! )**

 **Prologue**

(Thurdas/11th of Mid Year/4E 184)

In the lands of Skyrim, in the hold of Markarth, lay a dying Khajiit, death, may it be common in any land, this Khajiit's death was different. The Khajiit lay on an old feather bed ladened with it's sweat and blood. The room quiet except for the laboured breaths coming from the Khajiit. The cat's fur damp from the exertion it experienced over the past hour. But even though the cat felt much suffering physically, mentally, this was the joyous moment of its life.

The cat felt something grab and hold it's left hand, responding by turning its head towards the source.

Holding its hand, sitting in a old rocking chair, was her husband. His middle-aged face scarred with the exertion of work and battle. His hands of a different manner, soft and smooth but strong with the touch of a warrior. His eyes staring straight into her's, exposing many different emotions, pain, joy, love, fear, wonder. But his face still blank, he still would not share his emotions, his weakness, the ability to not share.

"How are you feeling?" he started

"Not as good as others," she responded "but still hanging on."

She knew that she wasn't going to make it, she would end up just like her mother. The Irony that it was, she killed her mother, and now her child would kill her. She gave a short and sudden chuckle only to receive a twitch of the face by her husband. Could he tell that she had lost too much blood to keep her body going. Or would she die with her husband crying at the side of her dead body in the morning.

"Do you remember what we talked about for the last month?" she said

"How could I forget?"

"You will do it won't you," she said "she should not have to bear the pain that I beared."

"You know I'd do anything for you."

She knew he'd keep his word on that, she could still remember the time he proved his love for her. She had received a letter the day previously that her father had died in Windhelm. After telling him he got his closest friends and some horses and they rode, camped, and hunted their way to Windhelm over the course of 5 days. When it would have taken her at least a week or two. Then there was a multitude of situations where he had expressed his love for her through his actions.

But today would be the ultimate action of love, the action of mercy and peace. When she would die by his hand she knew that she would learn two things. The pain that love brought and the true extent of his love. If he loved her as much to honor this request than her life would end as the greatest it could have been. She would also be spared the pain she endured now and granted peace amongst the gods. A request that she pictured most soldiers on the battlefields would seek.

As she finished the thought she felt her husband's hand start to quiver in her hand. Looking at his face, it was still blank, but not could be said for his eyes. His eyes showed grief and suffering, two types of pain he would have to carry for a better life to occur. A life where he could re-experience joy and happiness and all the other beautiful emotions. Just not with her but a blooded extension of what she was.

"It's ok," she gave a weary smile "It'll be just like getting stitches, short and painful."

He responded with a small chuckle understanding that one would say short and sweet, not painful. She closed her eyes as he reached to a pouch on his side to pull out a potion, of course not of the healing type. She was ashamed when the doctor had told her that magic could not fix the damage done, but fate had it in for her. As he popped the cork he raised the bottle to her lips, and she happily downed the contents, slowly the darkness from her closed eyes became even darker till it was eternal darkness. She could no longer feel, smell, see, or hear, it had been the end for her.

"But scars are forever" he said as her hand went limp in his. She may be gone but he now had a child to take care of and this was only a setback. He slowly and calmly crossed her hands and set them to full length down her body. He then left to the awaiting nurses and mages, informing them that she had passed. The nurses went into a motion of hugging each other and crying over the death of their mistress. The mages went to his sides and gave him words of assurance and comfort and telling him that if he needed them they would be there.

As the mourning went quite one of the nurses brought forth a bundle of cloth wrapped around a small form. Receiving the small bundle he looked into the exposed part to find two little eyes staring right back at him. A little cat face already covered with thin stringy hair and a small cat-ish nose was all he could see. All the sudden the little cat gave a big yawn, exposing her gums, already two sharp teeth about to break through the skin and into their designated positions.

"Well little Ashadon, it's just us two now." He told the little cat, even though she had no idea of what he said or meant. After that, he put on his heavy bearskin cape and wrapped the little bundle of joy inside it, and started to make his way through the long corridors of the keep. Once he made it to the kitchens he had the house cook prepare him a glass of warm milk to give the little baby. After trying a few times to get the cat to drink from the glass he finally got her to do it. When she was done, he thanked the cook and started for his chambers.

When he finally reached the corridor that led to his room he spotted a figure in robes lingering by his door, but continued his walk to the door.

"A trio no longer, can you believe it, after everything we've been through?" Her words made the man cringe inside, memories from their youth flooding back in a wave of nostalgia. But ale also hung in her words as he grasped the handle to the door.

"I'm just as disturbed as you, but now's not the time to talk."

"Will there ever be a time to talk?"

"Maybe, but my wife just died and I need to take care of my daughter."

"So did my sister, but you don't see me locking myself away."

"Well maybe you should go to your room, better yet, go to the storage room. Your kids shouldn't have to deal with their drunken mother."

"You honestly think a pair of twins could remember that night, when they were one, when their drunken mother mourned the death of her closest friend. Even your daughter won't remember what happened tonight." Her words hung in the air as he finally opened the door.

"Do you think it's a curse that'll we'll remember?"

"I think it's a blessing, I'll be able to remember everything about her up until she kicked me out. Her own daughter won't even remember her, she'll just have whatever we tell her." Yet he was the only one who knew her true death, what a bearden to carry.

"We'll talk more tomorrow" He closed the door and walked over to the crib him and his wife had built, but hesitated, instead of putting her into her crib, he went back to his own bed with his daughter and slide into the covers but with the feeling of loss. The loss of his favorite warm body and lover, Akila, how would he do it he thought before he became victim to the darkness of sleep with his daughter clutched to his chest.


	2. Chapter 1: Times Change

Chapter 1: Times Change

(17 years later)

(Turdas/11th of Last Seed/4E 201...3:18 p.m.)

"Ashadon, you need to understand, we must see your mother."

"No I don't, but you father, you are the one that must, I'm not the one that mourns her lose everyday, I'm not the one who killed his own wife." That had done it, the expression on father's face turned from pleading to a mixture of despair and regret. But this was how every year was, father told me we're to go to mother's grave only to receive my fixed answer. It worked every time too, the same reaction and the same result always followed. Did I regret it? Yes and no, I regretted causing father more pain than he ever needed, but I didn't regret that I wouldn't have to face my fear of going to mother's grave with her murderer, a fear that had only developed through learning the truth..

I had no problem with going to mother's grave when I was younger, but that was before father told me how she died. When I had turned 12 father had deemed me old enough to learn the fate of mother. Telling me about my birth and the poison and mother having no chance of survival even with magic. As soon as he had finished I had ran out of the family crypt eyes filled with tears and throat burning with the heavy moans I heaved in and out. That's why every year when I could have learn to forgive father and return to normal life I didn't.

But it wasn't like everyday I shunned father just because of mother's death. We still ate together and had small talk, but any other time, I got away. There were some occasions when father tried to salvage our "relationship". Once he had brought in a traveling carnival from Cyrodiil, were they then performed for my birthday and gave a couple shows for the City, But that only bought father a month of normality. Another time father asked a band of 30 traveling Khajiit to teach me of mother's heritage and the ways of her people and everything went well and I learned a lot. I learned that I was a strange mix breed, part Suthay-raht and part Ohmes-raht, giving me the fur of my people and some features such as claws, sharp teeth, a feline snout, a tail, my pointier than normal cat ears, but a more human face with less hair than others on it and even a more human voice than the purring feline voice of the Khajiit. But still in the end it didn't buy father much time of normality.

"At least remember to make it to the ball tonight; you're the only reason we're having it." His voice turning from pleading to anger, I watched as father walked out of the room and left me to myself. Why he couldn't except how I felt about today was beyond me but he had to reason be angry with me.

Guess I'd read a book till it was time for the ball. I walked over to my bookshelf and pulled my current book off it. Turning the book over in my hand I re-read the title, " _Daedra Worship & Princes_". I'd kept the book to myself fearing I'd be judged by my peers for reading something so "dark". I never did find solace in the god the court worshipped, Dibella the Goddess of Beauty. Although she was worshipped farther south it had been something mother had brought north and father had brought into the court. It was strange though because the other women of the court were worshipped by everyone else except father and they perform erotic dances during ceremonies, but that was just how the religion worked.

So I took to looking for other gods or just a god to worship, and I found that among the daedra. Some of the gods were pretty sadistic so those weren't really for me but then there was a few that gave back to their followers for following. I'd had narrowed it down to three different gods I'd chose to worship soon. Meridia, Prince of the energies of living things, Azura, of Dusk, Dawn and the magic that exists between the various realms of twilight, and Hircine, the prince of the hunt. Although Meridia and Azura were gods more so on the passive side, but I was looking for something dangerous but fun. And Hircine's gift of the hunt, that sounded like fun.

I went to open up the book but was instantly hit with boredom as I flipped to the first page. Maybe Shanna or some of the other girls from the court were free to talk or do something.

Putting the book back on the shelf I made my way over to my mirror posted above my desk next to my bed. I darted my eyes over my face and hair looking for anything that looked really screwed up. Eyes still brown, my pale skin still greasy, but beautifully smooth, curvy ass eyebrows, still not burned off. Shit, hair could definitely use some fixing, what was usually a shiny copper fluff of lose hair was now a tangled mess of knots. I racked my sharp nails through my hair till it looked a bit more presentable, good enough.

I jumped over to my wardrobe, I needed to get yesterday's clothes off. I ignored the entire left side of the wardrobe, the beauty of organization, they were all dresses for important events. I shifted through my casual clothes, a simple white tunic, a green tunic with red bands around the arms, a red tunic, just a bunch of gods damned tunics. I grabbed the white one for the sake of simplicity, and grabbed a pair of brown trousers to wear, if it wasn't for the fact just about everyone in the city knew who I was people would think I was a commoner.

After fiddling with the dress from yesterday's remembrance party to mother and downing my new clothes, I made a break for the door, I needed to go find Shanna, opening it as I went. But as soon as I opened the door a hand gripped mine in a hard lock. I jumped and gave a little scream before turning to see the hand of my assailant. There my attacker stood, a grin a mile high, and a laugh the sound of a siren, Zarcath. The damn cat-man was a million times more stealthy than me but he hand the jump on me considering I was just walking out of my room.

"What do you want!?" I yelled at him with a grin on my face.

"Well, that's a good question," he began "I want a dog, a mammoth, a kingdom, a wife…"

"Ok, shut up, I get it, what I meant was what do you want right now."

"I want you to cheer up, so let's go hit up the mead storage." he gave a little chant to his words.

In the nine years since Zarcath had been inducted into the 'royal' family, we had learned a lot about each other. The fact that we got happy like anyone else from drinking had been something of an interesting thing we had found out about each other. I could do a few drinks before I went to find Shanna but I'd need a way to mask my breath afterwards.

"Fine go get the damn ale, you thief." I huffed out at him

"I will be back dear sister." he said grinning even harder than before.

As he turned tail and made his way down the hall and out of sight, I went back into the room and sat on my bed. Then I transitioned into a flopped down position on the bed, legs off on the floor, arms spread out to the sides, and my back lying on the bed.

The time passed as I layed on the bed, what felt like hours was in reality minutes. Finally after about an hour, a knock sounded. Thump..Thump..Thump….THUMP, yeh that was him, don't know why he did it, the door wasn't locked. Taking my time getting up I walked to the door and opened it. Zarcath burst into the room with two kegs mounted with mugs and whipped around.

"Close the fucking fucking door!" he laughed and hissed.

Looking out into the hall, I saw why he burst in like a madman. Running down the hall came the store house manager, a axe in both hands, yelling, "Where are you kitty, daddy's got you a treat." It looked like he was about to foam from the mouth, his eyes bulging and what looked like blood shot from no-sleep. As he made it to the door he turned to me, "My lady, have you happen to see a little cat running down this hall, possibly holding a keg or two?" he said huffing like a hunting dog.

"No, I believe I have not" I said trying my best to hide my grin, little did he know that right on the other side of the ajar door Zarcath stood biting his hand to keep from laughing.

"Well, if you happen to see a little kitty then tell it the manager has a treat for it." He said before taking off down the hall to find Zarcath. By the gods, it was just two kegs, it wasn't like they were needing to ration anything, and even if they did, mead would be the last thing that would need to be rationed. It didn't make it any better that the Manager thought poorly of us. Just because we had khajiit backgrounds, but I was a slight exception due to father being the jarl, Zarcath not so much with his full khajiit heritage and the fact he wasn't a blooded heir.

Zarcath let loose the laugh he'd built up as I finally shut the door and locked it. He dropped to the floor and rolled left, then he rolled right, and then left again, not even stopping when he hit the sides of the small doorway. "You could, you know, shut up!" I chuckled, if he kept this up the manager would for surely hear him hissing like a house cat.

"I'm good, we have nothing to fear, that axe of his can't break metal." he said standing up and walking over to the bed where the kegs sat. I'm surprised the manager hadn't spotted the kegs when the door had been ajared.

"Did you get the good stuff?" a smirk planted on my face, he returned the same smirk.

"Indeed I did that's why I was running for the hills sis." he took up a mug and bashed it against the top of the barrel causing the top to pop off. A trick that the local barkeep had taught him when we went down about a year ago.

"Bottoms up!" I said as I raised my now filled mug and clinked it against Zarcath's. Raising the mug to my lips, getting a little taste of the brew, _Moonlight's Shadow._ This mead was more so a rarity, imported from Elsweyr, brewed once a year. It probably was a big tip off that I was drinking because Zarcath didn't down 100 kegs a year by himself. Hell, with the things that I was going through I didn't care if Father knew but everyone else was a different story. If the public or the court found out I was doing heavy drinking at this age then they'd probably think me to be a drunkard princess when I take over, well, if I take over.

Here I was drinking with Zarcath behind a locked door. So many things could go wrong between two drunk teens stuck in one room. But Zarcath had proved on previous occasions that he wouldn't do any funny business while we were drunk. Other than taking my bottle of ink and drawing on my face with the quill, or the other time he used a light spell on me. Made me think I was dead, while I was "dead" he played gods, almost got me to kiss him before I punched him in the gut. He never went too far was as to rape me, why was I so worried, we were like brother and sister.

As I finished my mug, I set it down, wondering what my mother would think of me right now. Here I was drinking behind closed doors with a older boy. The fact that I was just drinking probably sent my mother spinning in her grave. These moments probably wouldn't happen had she still been alive, but a life without these moments would be a shitty life. Why couldn't I have both? Why was mother destined to die? These were questions that only the mead in my hand could answer. Lifting my mug I downed my fourth mug and just let myself lose and get into the sweet process of getting wasted.

-( 5 hours later )-

"Ashadon! Ashadon, open this blasted door before I have Xaria open it!" a man yelled through the door. God damn, it must have been night by now, and I was dealing with a hangover. Now here someone comes just in time for the grand show. Wobbling over to the door I unlocked it and cracked it only enough to get my head out. Greeted to the sight of dad in his royal clothes and Xaria in her mage robes. I gave it a minute seeing which of us would speak first.

"Can I help, youuuu?" I slurred with a princess smile on my face.

"Well that depends am I speaking to Ashadon or Trash-adoned?" he smiled back .

"Ha," I laughed, "you said trash!" I slurred so bad I wish I was dead.

"Your fucking wasted, my daughter, the heir to the throne of Markarth!" he exclaimed throwing his hands up," Xaria please cleanse my duaghter's body."

"Yes my lord." she stepped forward and let magic course from her fingers to me. I must have still been considerably drunk because I could barely feel any difference the magic was to making. As I went back into the room, Xaria and Dad followed, I flopped back down onto my bed. My back popping from the impact I made as I finally settled in. But then it hit me, where's Zarcath, why isn't he getting his ass chewed out right now.

"Hey Xaria how bout you give Zarcath some of this stuff?" I said with a bit less slur than before. Looking at her she gave me a confused glare and then a side glance to my father who had the same look.

"STAY BACK!" someone shouted from the dark corner of the room, had to be Zarcath, only thing there was a pair of glowing eyes.

"Xaria get some light in here." Dad said, one hand on his sword, he stood still. Xaria took away one of her hands and casted a spell that placed a ball of light above our heads expelling all the darkness in the room. With all darkness gone we could see a figure cowering in the corner holding a dagger in front of itself. Only safe to assume that it was Zarcath because no one else entered the room earlier. Plus I was pretty sure that the figure was the only other person in the city to have a tail besides myself.

"Zarcath put the blade away" dad softened his tone"it's us Zarcath, your family, we're not gonna hurt you."

"NO, MY FAMILY'S DEAD!" he wouldn't hush his tone just kept yelling as loud as he could. But then for about three minutes straight he went on a mumbling fest. Only things I was able to pick up was his family was dead and it wasn't his fault. Finally Dad walked up to him and plucked the blade from his grip before he could tighten his grip. Then he did the unexpected and practically hugged Zarcath but in a way to restrain him. Zarcath then started thrashing and yelling at Dad like he was about to be murdered or was being murdered.

"XARIA PUT HIM DOWN!" Dad had to yell over Zarcath's mixture of yelling and hissing. Xaria dropped all attention on me and focused a spell on Zarcath that instantly knocked him out. All the sudden, for no reason, the alcohol finally hit me and I threw up into the nearby keg. For a good minute I sat there spewing my guts into the small barrel. When I was finally done, I looked up, Dad was carrying Zarcath over his shoulder and Xaria was just waiting.

"Xaria, if you don't mind, take my daughter to the bath house and have her cleaned."

"It will be done." she said in a monotone voice.

"You really should stop that, yes sir stuff, your a mage in my court but an individual outside of that."

"Sure" she finished.

Dad finally took to what I'd assume was taking Zarcath back to his room but I didn't really have any idea. Only thing I knew was that my father thought I needed a bath and that he was having my mother figure help me. Which must have meant that something important was about to happen. Usually I would do this kind of stuff by myself but now she was going to "help" me. It better be damn worth the time if it was going to be a conversation in the bathing house.

We had traveled about halfway to the bath house, which was more so a room, when what Zarcath had said finally hit me. He had said that his family was dead, but Dad had said that Zarcath was an orphan in that his family didn't want him. Not that his family was killed and he was then orphaned. So many questions popped into my head right then, why was his family killed, who killed his family, how'd he live? These questions were questions that I'd probably have to let Zarcath answer when he felt that it was right.

Now that I thought about it, that was probably the first non drunk thing I've thought of or said since everything started. Now we were at the bath house and god did I need to relax. So I watched as Xaria opened the door to the Royal bathing room. Steam pouring out of the door and onto me and her. Yeah, I needed this, with all the crap that's happened within the past day I really needed this. Or had it been less than a day, I just needed a damn bath.

Not wanting the heat to escape, I took a few steps through the door, Xaria shut the door behind us. The steam that was originally on it's way out now shot up into my face. The heat made me cringe for a second but once it was out I was ready to be in. I started to make my way over to my section of the room while Xaria went over to the guest section. Before getting behind the chest high stone wall I grabbed my thin bathing cloth that sat upon a shelf that jutted fourth from the stone.

Now behind it I began my quick strip of the clothes till I was fully in the nude. Before I put on the bathing robe I gave myself a quick glance down at my chest. I guess I grew a bit, maybe a decent bit, a whole more inch all around. That would explain why I got men taking double glances at me. Most almost act like they want to bend me over and have a go. But my tail, my claws, and the fact that my father was jarl is probably what kept them back.

Draping the robe over my shoulders I stepped out from behind the marble and faced the bath. Xaria must of been losing her mind, she was still in her mage robes, sitting in the tube. I just gave her a quick look of confusion as I stepped into the tube. As the water surrounded my foot I gladly spread my toes to make sure it heated all of me. It took me a minute but I finally lowered my whole body into the water and onto the submerged bench.

Looking back to her I saw her looking back to me. She must've been waiting for me to start the conversation. "So what you been up to these day?" I asked.

"Already trying to dodge the obvious are we?" She gave a coy smile.

"Come on, I didn't even plan on drinking today, it was Zarcath's fault we got wasted!" Maybe I could get away with a lie, it wasn't even that far from the truth to.

"So your saying Zarcath forced you to drink with him."

"Yes!"

"You know, I honestly thought I raised you to be better than this! I bet it's because I never beat you for lying. I used to beat my twins for lying and now they've yet to tell me a lie in the last five years!"

"I'm being serious though, it was all him!"

"And I'm being serious as well, don't go lying to me."

"Fine, whatever, maybe I was slightly persuaded to drink."

"Better, and don't go lying to me again! I've never lied to you and so I expect the same from you. But here's what I have to say about what you've gone and done today. I don't care if you drink," no way I just heard her right," me and your mother used to drink when we were kids. I just prefer you don't get caught drinking by your father or anyone for that matter. All said, that doesn't mean that I don't care you're slowly killing yourself. I've seen men who'd live to see their grandchildren die before then to the effects of heavy drinking. Just, be cautious, I don't need you dying on me anytime soon."

I sunk back into the bath, scoldings from Xaria sucked but they never ceased to be insightful or unnerving. And it wasn't like I was forced to actually learn from those scoldings, but she was the mother I never had so I never chose to ignore what she had to say.

"So you asked how life was?"

"Ah, yeah." Guess she did want to talk.

"Depends what part of my life you're asking about then" she said, she had quite the life after all. She was a court mage, a mother, a hunter, and a former pleasurer. The last one being something that only me, Zarcath, Shanna, and Dad knew about, but these days she was only the first three, and it would probably stay that way.

"Your mage life"

"These "days" not much other than my research into the dwemer culture."

"What do you mean by culture?"

"Culture my dear, literature, daily life, beliefs, social life."

"Oh" I replied looking down into the water, how could I be so stupid. I've had tutors teach me everything I'd need to know and yet I couldn't tell what she meant by culture.

"Anything really interesting?" I said looking back up

"Yes actually," she gave a pause "you know how every so often we have a gathering to worship the women of our court?"

"It's kind of hard to forget something of that nature." I replied reflecting on the amount of times I've had to watch the "ritual" and how images were practically burned into my head.

"Well, after going through multiple scrolls it appears that they suggested all the same things, women were highly valued in their society. Valued in ways that no other culture to this era would think was acceptable. Women were considered the epicenter of life, if you exclude architecture and machinery, but otherwise the epicenter. They did things for the women that not even people of our courts religion would do. I personally found it interesting because, unlike the court, the dwemer didn't believe in the gods and the daedra so their actions weren't influenced by religion."

"What kind of things did they do?"

"Well first," she choked "I should tell you the difference between their life and your religion. They didn't worship groups of women, if you were a man, you'd worship your wife. If you were a boy you worshiped the girl you loved, but unlike the men, you just gave them flowers. To be detailed men gave their wives...sex as their form of worship." She finished that sentence with a quirk on her face like she didn't know how I'd take it. Following that she turned her head off to the side for a bit probably thinking about how to continue the conversation.

"You know, that's interesting in all, but I kinda wanna get it out there that I don't worship dibella out of sheer willingness. To be honest, I really hate all the rituals and stuff, it's just not "my" religion."

"Owh, don't go saying that to anyone, we have a whole damn shrine to her here and the majority of the court worships her, word gets out you don't worship her and drinking will be the last of your problems." Fuck, maybe I shouldn't've said anything.

"So, I'm going to be honest with you again, I don't care who your worship. I myself don't believe in any of the gods...well, maybe Hircine and Molag Bal but that's because I've seen werewolves and vampires with my own damn eyes. I just don't worship any god, you could also blame it on the dwemer because they've taught me a thing or two through their dead culture."

I needed to really just keep to myself and cut out my tongue.

"Glad to know you aren't gonna rat me out" I finished the conversation with a nervous laugh, it probably would have escalated if we'd continued. Besides straying from the topic, it wasn't like I had a problem talking about sex. She didn't know but me and Zarcath had a very eventful night awhile ago during the winter. We were stuck in a roadside inn on our way back to Markarth from Whiterun and Zarcath had taken to telling me about what he would do to some "beautiful" girls around our age sitting at the other end of the tavern.

While in our drunken state I decided to tell him what I'd do to him. That really got his ears perked, and something else got perked, but he must have understood it was a joke. He went right back to telling me his dirty thoughts when he calmed down. It was interesting because after that night Zarcath would perk up when we talked about sex. He almost became more focused and more serious like he actually enjoyed it. But what the hell did the two of us know about sex, we'd only ever joked about it.

Still sitting in the water I swished my hand left and right creating ripples through the water. I watched as one actually made its way across the couple of feet between me and Xaria and swelled up and into here robe. She jumped off the bench just a bit as the water hit her, snapping here out of her bubble. She looked at me with a small grin, I was pretty sure what she was about to do.

"Xaria, please don…"I tried to say before she took the tips of her fingers and sent a freezing bridge of ice over to me, freezing the water around my body.

"Ahhhhh!" I squeaked quietly as the ice slowly sucked the body heat I'd just taken in.

"My, my, my, it looks pretty cold on that side of the bath," she said mockingly, " you know I here there's a special word that helps in these types of situations."

"Never!" I said with defiance while my teeth chattered, she probably had no idea what I was about to do. I dug deep and pulled up my mana pool and focused on conjuring fire into my hands. I looked down as I felt the heat radiating from my hands and into the now melting ice. I looked back up at her, she was still grinning, but with that grin I wasn't sure if she knew.

"I would think not." she said, I could feel the Ice come back around everything that just melted.

"You know you can go screw yourself."

"Or I could do both, wait for you to say sorry, and screw myself." After she said that I was ready to explode, I conjured up a fireball in the limited space my hands still had.

"You know you're probably going to blow your hands off in such a condensed space?" a small hint of fear bit at the corner of her grin.

"It'll be ok," I started "I know you'll unfreeze the water as soon as I release it." I finished with a smile just to piss her off. Just a couple seconds later when I released the fire, I watched as it traveled through the now unfrozen water and into the ceiling.

"You were right, I wouldn't let you blow your hands off, but I would let you destroy the ceiling."

The tiles that had been hit by the blast didn't break but had been scorched black, hopefully no one looked at the ceiling when they bathed. Quickly I stepped onto the bench and then quickly onto the ledge of the bath and out of the water. I made my way to where I left my clothes and grabbed a towel and began to dry myself. Once I was done with that I donned my previous clothes and discarded the towel to the corner of the small space.

I turned around to find Xaria climbing out of the submerged bath. Her robe still looked perfectly dry but her skin was visibly wet. I guess that was kinda interesting to know that her robe was waterproof. It was a fool's guess to think that her robe wasn't enchanted, but to have an enchantment that repels water almost seems pointless for a court-mage such as herself.

Walking to the entrance of the room I met Xaria halfway and then finished at the door. We stood at the door for a couple wordless seconds till I made the move and opened the door. Walking through the entrance and into the hall I stared down the corridor. A small blurry object shot around the corner of the hall and out of sight. It took me by surprise causing me to take a quick step backwards. I looked back to find Xaria shutting the door behind us, unknowing of what just happened in front of us. If anything it must have just been a servant passing through the halls. Worst case would be that something was roaming loose through the halls of the castle.

A slight nudge in my shoulder brought me back out of my thoughts. Xaria was standing next to me before she started to walk onward. Almost as if she had known that I wouldn't be moving anytime soon, so she started without me. I took a couple prancing steps to catch up to her, but I still kept behind her, we finally made it to the end of the hall.

"So what now?" I asked, her head turned left and right looking down the hall.

"Well now…" she put a pause in her words," you're gonna go about the day as if it were any other day."

 _Go about the day as if it were any other!?_ " I restated," I watched Zarcath pull a knife on all of us and act like a madman! He's never done that before and who says he won't do it again! How can I go about the day knowing something's wrong with him and not say anything?" I just snapped, a wave of rage, worry, fear, and disgust came flowing over me and then out my mouth.

Xaria turned to me and just stared into my soul. She seemed to be looking for a sign that I was exaggerating or just trying to argue.

"Ash, through time you'll have to learn to deal with people's quirks and flaws. You won't be able to turn people away just because they have a problem. So I recommend that you drop any thoughts of shunning Zarcath for his little outburst and do like I say and move on." she finished her words roughly.

Her words caught me off guard, I just stood there, I couldn't recover fast enough. Tears started to well at the corners of my eyes. I could feel my legs start to give way abit but I was able to keep myself up. I just took a couple steps back and leaned against the wall for support. Then I just stood there covering my eyes with one of my arms.

After some time had passed I heard Xaria walk over to me and plant her back along the wall right next to me. Her left arm hooked over my shoulders and pulled me towards her, and I just let it happen. She pulled me into a hug and I just set my face into the crook of her shoulder. It wasn't helpful though because the tears would roll onto her robe and then back onto my cheek. But it was still nice due to the warmth that was emanating from her.

"You know crying isn't gonna get you anywhere…" she said silently" but my bed." As soon as she said that I lost all reasons to cry. Those words caused me to slowly pull my face out of her neck and just stare into her eyes. A grin creeped across her face, "Got you to stop crying didn't I?". I guess it had considering that I was no longer thinking about Zarcath and his problem but now Xaria and her problem with containing her horny side.

I allowed a smile to creep onto my face as well, "I really hate you...you know that right" I whipped my face off with my sleeve as I finished.

"I love you to!" she gave me a peck on the face. I just blew it off and stood up holding out my hand to help her up. At the same time I looked around to see if anyone happen to see our little exchange. It seemed that nobody had seen but I did notice we had moved around from our original spot a couple times and had somehow sat down.

"See you're already doing good…" she said as she took hold of my hand," you've been able to look past my flaws". With that she pulled herself up into a standing position. Then she just started to walk away down one end of the hall. So I followed suit and went to the other end of the hall. When I got to the end I was set at another crossroads. Thank god Father had signs installed to help guide people around the keep.

Looking to the sign I made myself two options, go left and meet with father in the main hall or go right and see if Shanna was around, assuming she was in her room. Considering the options I gave myself two summaries of what each would end up like. Go to Father and end up spending my time not talking or go to Shanna and probably do something fun. It was practically a no-brainer so I started to take a few steps to the right, but then everything that happened this afternoon hit me.

The "fight" that me and father had started to guilt trip me into rethinking my decision. I stopped dead in my tracks, gave myself a second, and followed up with a complete turn around. I walked till I reached each and every turn trying to get myself to turn back around, but the guilt was too great. Finally I approached the open set of doors leading into the main hall. Just from here I could see not much was going on in the inside. Usually there would be small clumps of people from the court standing around but there were none.

Although there was nothing in sight there was still conversation coming from the hall. I was about to peek around but before I did I saw someone's arm stick out from another door leading into the hall. Within a second the figure appeared, turning out to be Moth, Father's personal blacksmith, it seemed he was done for the day. As he shut the door I could hear the conversation from the room stop.

"I'd take it you're done for the night?" a voice who I could only assume to be father's spoke out. Moth turned towards the voice and continued walking out of my sight.

"Yes, indeed I am my Jarl."

"Moth, tell me this, why is it that every night you chose to leave the keep and do whatever it is you do. When I could easily have another bed brought for you or even make way for the construction of a room for your personal use?

"My Jarl if I told you my reasoning behind what I do then you'd call me a vampire!" He chuckled from the hall with my father following it up with his own.

"May the gods watch over you Moth."

"Same to you my Jarl." with that the conversation seemed to die and the footsteps soon followed, no longer echoing through the hall. I was about to finally leave the shadows of the door till I heard the sound of footsteps pick up again but this time I could pick out more than just one set.

"Stop right there Thalmor you need not approach the Jarl any further." I assumed this voice to be one of Father's personal guards. Besides the voice though I was taken off guard by abit to hear that the Thalmor were here. Usually the Thalmor would do their best to stay away from places where they didn't have the Imperials to back them. Also considering that Father had chosen to keep the city neutral, in my mind, the Thalmor were playing a dangerous game coming to our home.

"You need not tell me what I can or can't do Nord." a women's sharp voice, tainted with hatred, respond.

"Ah Justiciar Saranto, come to try your luck again I see?"

"I wouldn't call it luck Jarl I'd call it diplomacy."

"You know if you weren't so serious you would've understood what I meant."

"No, I understood that you were insulting me for my inability to get you to see reason."

"So genocide is reason?!" Father said, not yelling, but in a drawn out line of sarcasm.

"Jarl Sapir, I don't know what you've heard but genocide is not a term you'll find to fit the Aldmeri Dominion!" It had seemed that the Justiciar took Father's words as an insult. After that comment Father and the justiciar launched into a verbal fight about what seemed to be morals and beliefs. It felt like ages passed until the argument took a turn.

"Justiciar it's taken me sometime now but if I remember correctly this seems to be the same conversation we had last time you were here."

"Well Jarl I'd think it was to since we've only talked the delusions of the many people in skyrim."

"I guess since they're only delusions, and we have nothing else to talk about, than you should get going."The hall went silent till father began, "Well there is the alternative, of course, you'd have to come back tomorrow though."

"What do you mean alternative?" The justiciar seemed annoyed that she was having to play father's games to get anywhere in the conversation.

"I'm so glad you asked!"Father responded with a sarcastic voice of excitement. Then for a few seconds they both stopped talking and I could hear the sound of clanking armor but that also died seconds later. Then I could hear the sound of something leaving a scabbard, it was hard to forget the sound with Father having me enrolled in lessons in fighting, then a second later I heard it go right back in.

"Oh my, I hope this is another jest of your's jarl."

"My dear Saranto, a man such as myself doesn't have time to jest, but I do hope to see you there."

"I…I'll think about it, but if this doesn't get you to hear what I have to say than I'll see about getting someone else to talk reason to you."

With what seemed to be the end of the discussion, footsteps began to pick up, the justiciar and her entourage must have been leaving. It'd probably be best if I did the same, who knew what father would think of me suddenly appearing. I could just apologize tomorrow if I didn't forget to tell him at breakfast, but that was if I didn't change my mind later. Gods, I wish that life could just be simple or I couldn't be so complex.

Slowly I started to back up while I was still crouched and still looking forward. Which would come to bite me in the ass seconds later.

"AASSSHHHYY!" a shrill voice elicited from meer steps behind me. I felt my heart explode, I just wanted to sneak away, I slowly stood up. I turned around to the sight of a girl dressed in a flamboyant ball gown made with bright reds, greens, purples, and yellows. It took me a second to realize but the girl was running at me from the short space between us and her arms were outstretched to grab me. I tried to back up but only succeeded in tripping into a backwards tumble.

When I finished that tumble, for the split second I had to focus, I was on my back facing the ceiling. Then the next I had a beautiful girl highlighted with color laying ontop of me. Then just to top it off she had her soft hands cupping my face. I was speechless, my eyes stayed locked with her's, we just layed they're. Neither of us made a move to break our position, so I took the time to to just examine her.

First I scanned over her sharp face, her bones coming in to make her look so fragile, so sweet. I followed the edges of her face to her pointy ears and after that to her eyes, Hazel and green, Black and blue, the diverse set of colors making her even more unique. But it was her brown curls sprinkled with ash that made the perfect partner with her ever so lightly tanned skin. These traits are probably what made her one of the beauties of the keep, and what earned her the name, Shanna The Exotic.

She was the only Wood Elf to be apart of the court which only supported her name more. Her parents were also apart of the court till word had spread that they weren't the best of parents. That eventually led to Shanna becoming the only Wood Elf here, it had been several years since that event. After they were expunged father had taken her as if she was his own. Giving her whatever she desired as long as it was reasonably possible. Within that time she had become the sister I never had just like Zarcath had become my brother.

There was the slight problem or more so convenience when I reflect on it. Shanna hadn't seen me the way I saw her, she seemed to see more than a sister in me. It was probably because I was a year older than her and I had set most of her life for her when she had got rid of her parents. She was quite clingy to me and anytime she was around me she lost all thoughts of personal space. My thoughts were confirmed once, about a year ago, during a very unforgettable night.

It started mostly as a normal day, woke up, ate, worked, played, screwed around, and got tired eventually. It was when I was off to bed that it started to get weird. I had gotten to my room to find the door ajar but at the time it didn't register. I just went in closed the door behind me plunging the room into darkness. As I made my way to bed I tossed my clothes off left and right till I was naked in bed. I hadn't been able to tell she was even in the bed with me till she grabbed me by around the waist with one hand and covered my mouth with the other.

I could remember just screaming and thrashing in her grasp. Only problems being she was muffling my screams and her arm hand me locked to her body so hard. Only when she started to tell me to calm down did I stop and calm down. We ended up laying in my bed, naked, facing each other, talking about life. I can't even remember why I wasn't telling her to leave or what the fuck was wrong with her. While we were talking though the question of love interest was brought up. I told her that love wasn't really on my mind at the time.

After I told her that I could remember the following silence that ensued. After a couple minutes I broke that silence by asking her the same question back. Then she said it, she didn't even hold back,"You're the one I love". She leaned in on the couple of inches separating us and gave me a full hearted kiss on the cheek. When she withdrew from my face I just locked eyes with her and listened to the sound of my rapidly beating heart. There must have been some sort of magic that was in the air because what followed was quite magical.

I found myself returning that same kiss to the cheek to her and telling her that I thought I found my first love. We had smiled and giggled for what felt like minutes, but when we were done I had my arm around her waist. Our legs were in a tangle together and her back was pressed against my chest. My face pressed into her magnificent hair, covering what felt like my entire head, the sweet scent of wild flowers creeping into my senses. We fell asleep like that until morning came and I found we change positions.

After that event of ours we continued on with our lives. We would continue on just like before but we'd be closer than before with what we did and knew. It had happened at least three more times since then and I couldn't imagine it stopping anytime soon and even though it was taboo I didn't want it to stop. It made me feel closer to her and it gave me a feeling of bliss. I would go a month or two of just feeling like horse crap only to be saved by one of our little "sleep overs". There was however a line that we drew, we wouldn't go all the way, we'd only just sleep together, naked or clothed.

"Ash...Ash...Ash...Ash...ASH!"Shanna screamed in my face, finally pulling me out of my inner thoughts. I didn't respond to her, I tilt my head back, turning everything upside down in my vision, nobody in sight. I brought my head back up as fast as a snake and planted a quick kiss on her cheek. She took in a breath and just held it, her cheeks turned a light crimson, she released it in a quick gasp and rolled off me.

"Thanks a lot Shanna." I told her in my, I'm gonna kill you later, voice.

"No problem." she said blissfully, still not having recovered from the kiss.

"Oh Ashadon!" Father yelled from the main hall, his voice almost sounded excited.

I slowly pushed myself onto my elbows till I was able to roll over and push myself to a stand. I gave Shanna a glance to see if it was worth helping her up. She was still trying to recover, yeah, it wasn't worth it. I then took the couple steps to make it past the open doors and into the hall. As soon as I turned right, to continue walking to fathers hole in the wall, I choked on my breath. The hall had clearly become more...magical than I had remembered it being.

A long stone table was floating through the air towards the center of the room. Colorful lights were rapidly rushing to different areas of the room like they were trying to find the perfect one to claim for themselves. Then the table landed and from the chef's kitchen, across the table, different sets of floating table sets came rushing out and laying on the table and then just as fast ejecting themselves back into the air.

All the sudden I felt about ten different points of pressure firmly grip my buttocks. In response the muscles in my butt tightened so hard I thought I was gripping whatever was gripping my ass, with my ass. I shrieked a little, I was really off my game today, instantly turning on whatever grabbed my butt. Low and behold it was Shanna, she had some courage to do this in the main frickin hall, there were two guards at least a couple yards away. Still she just looked at me with a grin and pushed me forward towards father's chamber.

As I closed the last couple feet to the entrance, I began to hear father mumbling what seemed to be yes and no, I could feel the butterflies in my stomach begin to awake. Finally getting to see inside the chamber I was able to find Xaria and two more mages standing on Father's right, probably the reason he was mumbling.

"Hello daughter!" Father said with what seemed to be genuine excitement.

"Hey Father." I was still a bit under the impression that something bad was coming.

"So I know that we didn't have a good morning or afternoon considering our talk earlier. Which reminds me, you had missed the ball earlier which was apart of your birthday as usual. If you want we could have another one tomorrow or maybe the day after?"

What was he talking about, we didn't have a talk, and they had a ball without me? Don't get me wrong, I wasn't the social butterfly that one would usually find at a ball, but it was a ball for me but they had it without me.

"No, it's okay, I don't think we need to have two in a row, I assume that everyone danced their hardest and probably won't be able to dance again for awhile."

"You should have been there," Shanna butted in from behind" there was guests by the dozens from all around skyrim! So many different dresses and suits from all around, but as you should know, yours truly won the best dress and was crowned the fairest of them all!" The joy was practically glowing off her as she stole the conversation to tell me all she saw while she was there.

"Shanna," Father injected into Shanna trying to tell me about the cake they had," I don't think Ash wants to hear about her own party she missed." This caused Shanna to apologize yet I was still a bit interested in what kind of cake they had this year.

"So let's go back to where I was before Shanna spoiled what happened this afternoon. I was about to tell you that tomorrow we are going to be having a dinner party as a part two to your seventeenth birthday celebration! Yes that's right, we shall be having a part two to your birthday."

Clearly this wasn't my Father, this must have been some stranger that looked exactly like Father but just not the same. Father didn't just get angry one part of the day and then change the next part. Now a part two to my birthday was pretty much normal due to the fact one was made up of people I barely knew, which must have been today's ball, and the other one my closests friends and family so pretty much Father, Xaria, Shanna, Zarcath, and me. Although it was just them as the only "guests" we usually got the guards and other members of the keep to join us to have a decent sized party. The only other thing nagging at the back of my mind was that Father had called it a dinner party.

"Oh...ok." I probably made that sound like I was the most unhappy person in the keep, and he took notice.

"What do you mean, oh?" he didn't put it bluntly, but said it with a caring tone. He said it like I just crushed his opportunity at another couple months of normality, but still put in a tone that said that I was the one that mattered, not him.

"No...it's just that I thought you had something else that you wanted to say so I feel like this moment was very...anti-climatic?"

"Oh, don't worry there's more that needs to be said but I'll save that for another time."

Oh yeah, later would be fine, preferably when it was just us and presumably Zarcath. I wasn't going to let myself take the brunt of Father's wrath. After all Zarcath had been the one to supply us both with the ale, but Father had been the one to buy it. Maybe I could use that to turn the conversation back on him and put him on the defensive. Then again that would probably land us without drink and leave us slowly dieing on the inside. If I had to kill a person to get some I probably would.

Turning back to the conversation at hand I found myself the center of it. Father began asking me what I wanted, where I wanted it, and how I wanted it. Needless to say the next two hours was me planning most of my own party. Shanna throwing in her opinion about my choices and what she'd think was better. Father writing down everything I was saying and occasionally talking to Xaria. When it was finally over I found myself walking the corridors with Shanna and making some small talk.

"Mind if I stay the night?" Shanna just asked out of nowhere as we came to a crossroads. I wanted to say no because the party was tomorrow, but it was my birthday.

"Yeah...that'd be nice." I just gave her a smile.

"Awesome, I'm gonna stop by my room really quick and then I'll meet you in yours." Right as I was about to answer her she bolted down the hall on my right. Whatever she was grabbing must have been quite important for how she was running in her gown. That spiked my interest a bit, it was my birthday and she wanted to grab something before bed. Although she didn't say it was for me it had to be for me, but that'd be selfish of me to think that.

Deciding to drop any thoughts of what she was going to get I made the short trip back to my room. When I got to where I could actually see my door I found it slightly ajar. Either she beat me here, which was practically impossible since she had to come from behind me. Or I was stupid to enough to leave my door open again, most likely the later since I had been drunk. I just decided to screw it and walk in, closing the door behind me.

Taking a second to scan the room everything seemed in order. Nothing was out of order, the kegs were still next to the bed and...Shit the kegs were still here. Shanna still didn't know that I was drinking and I didn't feel to keen on letting her know tonight. Barely even thinking about what I was doing I picked up the kegs and rushed over to the closet. Opening the door I looked to see if the kegs had any liquids left, they were empty, I rushed and just threw them in without a second look. I quickly shut the door in case Shanna happen to finally make her grand entrance.

Even after another minute of me just sitting on my bed she didn't show. It couldn't be to much longer even if she walked since she was just at the other end of the hall. I decided just to start without her, so I striped down, put out the fire, and lit a bedside candle. Then another minute passed of me just lying under the covers, watching the door, waiting for Shanna. At this point I was actually considering getting dressed again and going to her room to she what was taking so long. Only when I propped myself on my shoulder did I hear footsteps outside the door.

The door cracked open and light pierced the darkness that still consumed the room, only to be covered again as the figure slipped in. As the figure got closer the light illuminated it, till it turned out to be Shanna in her nightgown. When she was finally steps from the bed I could see that she was holding a wooden pot that took up a little more than both her hands to hold.

"Sorry it took me awhile, got caught up in what to wear, besides that I did get you a present!" While mentioning her dress she gave a slight twirl, trying to get me to admire it. When I looked at it closer I noticed it probably wasn't the dress she wanted me to notice, but what I could see through the dress. It was entirely see through, her breasts were practically exposed to me, the curves of her body outlined in a shimmer of the loosely threaded dress. She really wanted to make my birthday special, it was really working, was it weird she was turning me on?

"Yeah...that really...is nice." However she got away with making dresses like that, I had no idea.

"Glad you like it but I think it's time for the present." She crouched next to the bed, the pot resting in her hands. So I just grabbed the beaded top of the pot and lifted it off the base. Placing the top on my bedside table, I looked in the pot. In it a white substance that looked like it had the consistency of a paste filled the pot to the brim. I had no possible clue of what it could have been, it didn't look edible, definitely wasn't makeup.

"Thanks?" I said as I stared into the pot, it was just too damn intriguing.

"What's wrong, I thought you'd like it, don't you know what this is?" she shoved the pot closer to my face. Strangely enough the paste had a scent now that it was closer, wildflowers, just like whatever Shanna used for her perfumes.

"No...not really." Shanna looked a bit disappointed, but it wasn't like I knew what everything was.

"Well from what the woman at the stall said, it's a lotion, a very special lotion. It has effects that make your skin more sensitive than usual. It also has some things in it that make your skin brighter and fuller." While she was finishing, it almost sounded like the lady who sold the stuff had possessed Shanna and tried to sell it to me.

"That sounds fantastic, I guess I'll have to use that sometime." I went to grab the pot but she pulled it to her chest, I frowned.

"Well that sometime is going to be now." She grabbed the sheets covering me and threw them across the bed where they hit the wall and sank down. Now it was me, lying naked on the bed covering my more private area with a hand while Shanna was just standing next to me with the bowl in hand. She then moved to get on the bed, knees first and then slowly crawled on top of me, her legs making an open triangle with my legs in it.

"Damn…." That's all I could get out, any attempts at get anything else out ended in me catching my breath. She really took the initiative tonight, she seemed really aggressive, or horny. If she was horny though than I was screwed and we're gonna cross the line tonight. The only highlight for tonight, other than maybe the possible sex, will probably be the massage from what seemed like was about to happen.

Breaking my jumbled thoughts I watched Shanna as she set the bowl on the bed and took a small scoop out of it with her hands. Slowly she rubbed the material between her fingers and over her hands. Then she brought her hands down onto my hips, and oh gods did it feel good. I wasn't really sure if it was just her touch or that paste really had some magical properties. I quivered under her hands, that only prompted her to start working faster along my body. Now I was squirming trying to escape her touch but it was like they were attached to my body.

Finally I couldn't keep quiet, I let out a noise somewhere in between a cat's purr and a person's moan. It had just felt right, but it was just so awkward to make in a room usually devote to silent thought. I looked up at Shanna who was also surprised by the sound, but she must have liked it because her slick hands slid right onto my breasts. This time I was louder and Shanna was enjoying it since she was smiling and laughing, just enjoying it all together. My breaths started to pick up as I felt my body heat rise and tension build throughout my muscles. The tension was killing me, I could only imagine would it would feel like to release it.

"Shanna move out of the way, you're blocking my view!" a voice yelled from behind Shanna. At first I was to caught in the moment to register that someone else was in the room. Next thing I knew Shanna was squealing and holding onto me, all that tension that was in me a second ago was now a dead weight in my body. I looked over her back and past her ass to see a figure looking right back at me. The figure instantly bolt for the door, but to their surprise the door was locked. They started to fiddle with the lock on the door, I was going to fucking kill however it was.

I pushed Shanna off me and quickly leaned over the bedside, grabbing my nightgown and slipping it on. I heard the lock on the door click as I reached my rapier lying against my bedside table. I made way for the door as the figure got through it and into the hall. Once out the door I made pursuit of the figure, turning down hall after hall, where were the guards? Finally I caught him in a hall that ended in a dead end.

"It's time to die whoever you think you are." The figure still kept running down the hall and that started to really make me mad because as we got further down I started to have an idea of who the figure might be. Finally the figure got to the last door and swung it right open, he's going to get my sword right up his ass. As I hit the door the lock on the inside clicked, and everything went silent except for my panting.

At this point I didn't know how to get in, till it slapped me right in the face. I walked myself a couple steps to the left of the door and began scanning the wall, every room had a secret container with an extra key in case the main key disappeared. Finally I found a slight difference in the bricks and pushed the brick into the wall. It pushed back out to revealing a open container, but what was supposed to be inside wasn't. He probably knew that he was going to get caught sometime and took the damn key. I looked back down the hall in frustration, thinking about what to do next, only to find a fully and properly dressed Shanna.

"Is it him!?" She yelled down to me, with my hands on my head, I nodded to her. Funny how she could also tell that it was him just from where I was standing. She came running down the hall till she was standing at the door banging on it and shouting at our peeper to come out and face us. Then I got a half decent idea on how to get into his room.

"Shanna do me a favour and stand back." I walked up to the door as she backed up to the other side of the hall. I placed my palm flat against the keyhole on the door and focused some magic into it. Slowly frost began to spread across the lock and eventually the door. Our "friend" on the other side must have noticed because the area where frost would have continued to spread stopped and began to retreat back towards the lock. I tried harder and put more of my power into the spell and at the same time drew my rapier with my other hand.

What I was about to do wasn't probably the most practical use for a sword, but it was my only chance for the time being. I assumed the Internal lock mechanism was completely frozen by now so it should work. I quickly withdrew my hand and took the point of my rapier to the keyhole. I rammed it in as fast as I could, the sounds of shattering parts sounding with each thrust, hopefully the tip didn't break. It must have scared our perpetrator because the door finally stopped it's faint glow and and the keyhole remained frozen. Finally withdrawing my sword, I switched to the hilt, and began hitting the frozen plate with my buttoned pommel.

After a good minute of bashing the plate smashed showing all the fractured insides. Digging it all out I found the lock itself and pulled it out of it's hole. I grabbed the door with intense ferocity and threw the door open to find a mattress fitting the door, but that was short lived because Shanna followed up behind me with a kick to the mattress. The room now shown to us except for the areas clouded in shadows, but right in the middle stood the now illuminated stalker, Zarcath.

"You're going to die piece of shit!" Shanna yelled as she ran at zarcath.

"Please stop, I'm sorry!" he pleaded as he tried to dodge Shanna who was trying to grab him.

"Well maybe if you didn't sneak into my room this wouldn't be happening!" I threw myself into the mix and kicked out one of his legs as he tried to dodge Shanna's grab. We instantly pinned him to the ground making sure he didn't get a chance to run.

"Please guys, just let me go and we can just forget what happened!"

"Ya know what's tomorrow Zarcath!" I yelled into his face. He cringed slightly and the sight of me baring my teeth.

"Your...birthday." he turned away and stretched his words as he responded.

"Yes… and do you know what people get on their birthdays!?"

"Presents." he answered the same way as before.

"Yep and so far I've gotten one present today and I think that you promised me one earlier today also!"

"No I didn't!" he yelled without hesitation, but instantly he regretted it and stared and me like I was death.

"Well I remember quite clearly you did. I even remember you promising to give one to Shanna even though it wasn't her birthday!" he started to struggle harder at my comment but didn't seem like he was going to answer anytime soon.

"So tonight you're going to let us choose what we want as presents. Then you're going to give us a second present on our actual birthdays, how does that sound!?" he thrashed harder and began hissing but didn't try to really attack.

"Well that sounded like a yes to me, what do you think Shanna!?"

"Oh yeah, I'm pretty sure that I heard a yes!" Just looking at her I could tell she felt the same as me.

"I think that because tomorrow's my birthday, you can go first Shanna." She smiled with the satisfaction of having the chance to go first, but that quickly died with the smile on her face.

"What's wrong?" I asked, dropping my fierce stature and asking her normally.

"What do I take?" That question blew my mind because I really hadn't thought of what we could take.

"Well we can't just take his stuff," I stopped a bit stumped" but we can take him!" I said maybe a bit to cheekily. Zarcath stopped his thrashing completely and stared between the two of us.

"Please, I'd like to stay virgin a bit longer." he began to quiver and what looked like a tear formed in his right eye.

"You must be some kind of idiot to think we'd screw you right after you creeped on us when we were, NAKED!" I finished hard, why would he think after all he'd done he'd get free sex.

"Well If you purity matters so much to you I wouldn't mind taking it from you." Shanna said, out of everything she could say she would actually consider taking his virginity. Probably not her best trade considering she was also still a virgin to my knowledge. After that Zarcath began to actually cry and give a weird whimper. We followed up with slight chuckles as he continued to cry.

"I'm just kidding, but I will take something that matters from you." She took his left hand and balled it into a fist. Then a slight glow traveled from her hands to his balled hand. She pinned his hand back against the floor, but Zarcath's hand didn't uncurl.

"What...What...What did you do to my hand!?" Zarcath began to hyperventilate as the veins in his arm strained against the skin in an attempt to move his fingers.

"Well I've paralyzed your hand so you can't move your fingers. If you're wondering why I chose your left you can think about your nightlife and you'll find your answer." she smiled as Zarcath began to realize what she meant. His face just deadpanned, no longer did he shed a tear or whimper, he laid silent with a sort of dignity about himself. Although we knew he had no dignity after what happened tonight.

"And what will you be taking from me tonight princess?" he said so calmly and flat like he had fallen into a pit and knew of no way out. It probably would have been easy to just ask Shanna to do the same to his other hand to make sure he didn't "try". But I wanted something different, I wanted to take something more visual. An idea came to mind and I kept my composure as I said it.

"I...I will be taking your beauty." as I finished the room turned to silence, but then Zarcath's mouth started to curve. He started a suppressed chuckle that broke and became an open laughter.

"What's that supposed to mean!?" he laughed. I heated up my hand with some fire magic, but not so hot to that flames generated, just enough to burn hair.

"I'ma burn your hair off!" I laughed causing him to to shut up and try to push away from my now descending hand.

Today was quite the day, a lot of bad and I guess what could be called good. A fight with dad, a freak out with Zarcath, time with Shanna, a soothing bath, being peeped on, getting revenge. Well maybe not too much of each but enough to even out. Tonight though was probably a decent night if anything. I just hope every night doesn't turn into a ruined massage.


	3. Chapter 2: A Surprise Worthy Of Cake

Chapter 2: A Surprise Worthy Of Cake

 **(So this is gonna be the first time I try a "dream scene", don't really know how this will turn out. I think I might try a couple of these and see how they turn out. I'll write it in _italic_ to signify it from what could be considered "Reality text". However, there's one part where I use _italic_ to signify a note. Also, now that reading the story from fanfic's site I've noticed instances were I've put three spaces randomly and the only reason they're there is because I used a different font for the story prior and so triple spacing was near impossible to see. If you spot a triple space I'd love to know because the damn things kill me when I see them on screen so any you find are ones I missed..)**

(Fredas/12th of Last Seed4E of 201...3:21 p.m.)

" _Oh god did her hands work miracles." I thought as Shanna's hands roved over my body. She moved from my shoulders down to my chest and then back up. She'd did that once or twice and then moved lower, she rubbed my waist and then took her hands to each of my breasts, cupping them, and then rotating around their entirety. As she worked around my body I could feel myself slowly heating up all over and becoming much more sensitive than usual. Finally she moved down even further, she pushed my legs apart, her hands on each of my thighs moving ever so closer to my entrance._

 _Her hand's slowed to a complete stop at my entrance, the anticipation in my body hit a peak. I gasped as I felt her slide her fingers in, the feeling of her digits parting my walls were like a drug. I almost died as I felt her begin to withdraw only to be excited when she quickly rammed them back in slightly farther. Time felt like it had come to a stop as I could only think of the constant thrusting of her fingers. Yet something felt missing as I laid, eyes shut, listening and feeling to our love. Shanna, it was like she was here doing this but at the same time it seemed as if she wasn't._

 _Almost as if just thinking of her told her she was needed somewhere, I could feel her breaths on my body work their way from my stomach to my face. Something wasn't right about her breaths, they seemed a bit heavy almost like mine, but she wasn't the one taking it. They also had a scent to them, a strange mix of ale and food, but Shanna didn't drink mead or ale, it almost smelt of Shadow. Right before I decided to open my eyes the breathing stopped and my lips connected with her own, but it wasn't her. My eyes now open, I could see the fur that covered this person's face and the structure that it held, it was Zarcath._

 _I instantly broke the kiss but some part of me did not break the contact between our bodies. My mind was scrambling to understand what was happening but my body was scrambling to buck and thrust against Zarcath's body. As I looked over us, I noticed how Zarcath had both of his arms on the pillow I rested my head against. The thought that Zarcath fucking me sent my mind into an overload, I instantly looked between the small space between our bodies, and saw his slightly exposed manhood penetrating my body. I just looked back at Zarcath to find his eyes trained on mine burning with passion._

 _I felt myself screaming but not actually, I could feel my face pulled into a smile and I could hear only the pants and moans exchanged between us. I started to cry but it was like I was crying in my head along with the screams. All the while I could feel Zarcath's thrusts become deeper, harder, faster, both of us were getting close. My walls started to contract around him as I was about to climax, our moans becoming louder as he to was close to climax. Just as we climaxed in usion I felt myself succumb to darkness, the moans thudding in my head._

"NOOOOOO!" I screamed as I thrusted up from my bed pressing my back against the wall. I whipped my head left and right looking for Zarcath, my eyes clouded with tears. It felt way too real to be just a dream, I felt the walls of my entrance clamping so hard, I lifted the cover and found the sheets completely soaked in my various body fluids. It couldn't have been a dream, but looking back on it, the fact Zarcath still had facial hair proved it was a dream. I tried to calm down as I sat in the corner of my bed where it met the corner of the walls.

Why'd it have to be Zarcath, he was the closest thing to a brother I had, why'd he do that to me? I'd had dreams like this before, but never with him and never like that. What meaning could be behind my dream or was it just nonsense? Did I deserve this? Is this a punishment from the gods for what I had done to him? My mind strained as more and more possibilities for why this happened crossed my mind.

"Hey Ash, you want to go to the baths together?" the door swung open to reveal shanna wrapped in a blanket.

"By the gods what happened!" she yelled, she ran and jumped onto the bed moving to embrace me. I couldn't respond, my mind still clouded in thought, I just stared at her.

"What's on your…?" Shanna began, looking from the stained area she kneeled in to my soaked legs. I don't know what she was thinking but she moved aside the blanket I was using to cover myself. My wet and naked body now exposed to her, still I did not move to stop her or respond to her.

"Oh god," she gasped "come on we need to get you out of here." she grabbed my arm and tried to pull me out and away from the bed, I silently complied. When I was fully standing Shanna took off her blanket and wrapped it around me in an attempt to cover my nakedness. She seemed to have been wearing clothes underneath already so she immediately took us to the door and out. She must have been taking us to the bathes already, not once during the trip did I say a word.

Finally at the door Shanna opened it and pulled me in after her. With both of us in she locked the door and started to pull me to the tub. I was able to finally do something myself and took off the blanket, slowly descending into the tub. Shanna must have just thrown her clothes to the side since she followed me in seconds later. As soon as she was in she wrapped her arms around me and used one to push my head against her. We just sat there, neither of us spoke, I let her continue to embrace me.

"You want to tell me what happened?" Shanna had finally broken the silence that had originally enveloped the room. I didn't respond, yeah it was a dream, but how was I supposed to tell her. "Hey Zarcath rapped me in my dreams and I liked, but at the same time I didn't!". I probably could have said that and she'd take it no problem being the type of person she was. I could only assume at the same time she'd actually kill Zarcath just for being the person fucking me in my dreams. Still, I had to give her some response or she'd just push the envelope harder.

"I...was...raped." I mumbled.

"What?" She responded.

"I...was...RAPED!" I started to cry as I repeated to her what I said.

"WHO DID IT!?" She grabbed my head and forced me to look her in the eyes.

"Not literally." When I said that she changed from a sane killer to a confused killer.

"I find that hard to believe with how you and your bed look!" I guess my case was going to be hard to plead with evidence like that.

"It was a dream." It was getting harder to look at her with every word, I tried to retreat to her shoulder, she gripped my face harder.

"Ash, you were...leaking all over your bed and cowering in the corner like you were defending yourself. Don't get me wrong, I've had some crazy dreams before, but you dreamed of being raped. Then you woke up looking like you were raped, how is that possible?" I just tried looking to the side, I didn't know how to even start a response. Maybe it would be best if I just told her who did it.

"It was Zarcath!" I blurted out, she instantly bolted up from the seating bench and grabbed the side of the tub as to get out, clearly she forgot that I said it was a dream.

"NO!" I shouted, pulling her arm as to keep her from going to kill our "friend".

"ASH, you just told me, HE RAPED YOU!" She stopped trying to pull against me, but looked at me with bared teeth.

"IN MY DREAM!" It seemed to pull her only slightly back to sanity as she then opted to sit on the edge of the tub instead of stand. I may have made the moment a bit awkward as her crotch was now at my eye level prompting me to stare.

"Ash" I whipped my head up hoping she didn't understand what I was looking at.

"It wasn't really him physically, but just in my head." I said in a wanting way, a want for her to understand what I was saying.

"OK...fine...it was in your head, but that still doesn't excuse Zarcath for mind rapeing you." When she said that she said it with hate, some earned and some not.

"So what are we going to do about this whole, he raped me but didn't rape me situation?" I looked at her with the most dumbfounded look I could give her. One second she's off to slay Zarcath and the next she's calm and accepting of everything, there was no way she wasn't bipolar.

"We're not going to do anything...it was just a dream after all and this isn't your problem. I just want to understand why it was him and not anyone else. I've had this type of dream just not with him." She looked at me in silence, possibly trying to actually understand what I was saying, a tug at her lips appeared seconds later.

"You said you had the dream before, just not with Zarcath, right?" I had no clue of where she was going with this but I went along with it.

"Yes."

"Was it rape when you had the dream with other people?"

"No, it was...consensual and I actually liked it." I felt so damn awkward telling her this but maybe she'd actually help me come to an understanding.

"So then why was it that when Zarcath was the one delivering it was rape?" I just stared, now I was the one trying to understand, I thought in complete silence. Was it really rape, I screamed, I cried, I felt hate for the situation I was in. Still though, at the same time, I felt the smile, I felt the pleasure, I felt the want for him. I felt so conflicted now thinking about everything that had actually happened. I had feelings for him both as a brother and as a possible lover.

"I…I don't know?" I was shocked that she was able to stump me so easily. She actually started to giggle, was she a fucking psycho, what the hell was she thinking?

"Hey remember when I told you I've never had a dream like yours?"

"Yeesss?"

"Well I lied, I've had a dream similar to yours, but just not with the same person and not with the same reaction. I did however orgasm so hard that my bed actually looked worse than yours." She finished, she had a full on fucking smile and was now laughing. I didn't think this conversation had come to the point were laughing was acceptable. Also what the hell was with the panic earlier like she didn't understand what was happening, well maybe it was the spur of the moment.

"Care to explain?" I asked, I really needed to know what the hell she was trying to really say.

"Well to put it bluntly," she said" I believe that you want Zarcath." She left me shocked yet again, my mouth slightly left ajar this time though. "When I had my dream it was of the person I wanted the most, and it left me the most emotionally...discharged? To put it simple my dream told me who I wanted the most." Was there any truth to what she said? This was my strongest dream yet and as she said it left me like a wreck afterwards.

"Shanna...you do understand what our relation to Zarcath is, yes?"

"Well what you want isn't conscious of relation, only of what it desires the most." I can't believe she was actually telling me to fuck my 'brother'. Or at least she was telling me that a part of me wanted to have him. I didn't need her to tell me what I already knew, it was just too fast for me. So yeah, there was a partial truth to what she was saying but it was killing me to fully accept that coming from her mouth. I turned my back to her and looked up at the ceiling, the tiles were still scorched, I laughed.

"HOLY SHIT...I was right!?" Shanna tilted my head and forced me to have to see her face. I went back to silence as I stared at her, and just thought about the situation again. Was there really anything wrong with my affection for him, he wasn't blood related. To hell with it, I'd try it, I'd try to romance the boy I called a brother. What was the worse thing that could happen, Zarcath turning me down? Only thing is I'd have to give that jackass a restart, how does someone go about romancing a pervert they just assaulted?

"Fuck it," I chuckled," maybe my mind loves Zarcath, but my heart loves someone else, any guesses?" When I told her I loved him she smiled and she grinned and even harder when I told her I loved another.

"I have my guesses." She leaned down, and I raised up, our lips met and we kissed. Was this even possible, could I love two people so dearly, both a brother and a sister. Is it ok to pronounce my love for one, but then physically love another. As we parted from our kiss everything seemed to straighten in my mind and I became fully confident that this would work. When my head finally rested on the polished stone, a knock sounded from the door.

"Coming in!" The door opened but I wasn't able to see who it was from where I sat. I could hear the person quickly approach us as the sound of their shoes grew louder.

"So how's the birthday girl doing?" Xaria's face appeared over Shanna's shoulder.

"How'd you get in!" Shanna gave a little shocked stutter and started blushing hard, unless that was just the heat of the steam. Such bullshit, I laughed on the inside.

"Ah, I used my secret daedric unlock spell that allows me to unlock any lock in Nirn." She gave a menacing wiggle of her fingers.

"Totally not the same way we tried to get into Zarcath's room." I sarcastically mentioned.

"Em, you girls didn't have anything to do with what happened to Zarcath did you?" We both chose to remain silent.

"Good answer girls," Ok, so no answer is a good answer but lying is a bad answer, what a sound logic, "needless to say I woke up right at the sunrise to Zarcath bashing on my door. Apparently someone had frozen his hand into a fist with magic and I had to fix that!"

"Anyways, birthday girl, how's it going?"

"Good so far." I responded, could have been considered a lie, but from my new view the day could only get better.

"Well you to should hurry up because we're kinda waiting on you two." And she didn't call me out, maybe she had some magical foresight that could see into my mind or some shit and decided it wasn't worth it.

"Just a bit longer, I want to make sure I'm sparkling." With that Xaria left and headed out the door. I waited for her to leave before I finally got out of the bath and headed for a towel.

"I thought you said we'd wait awhile longer?" Shanna spook up from behind me, I turned around. I stretched my hands above my head and crossed my legs.

"Well," I yawned" I thought about it and I think that I'm shining already, what do you think?" She gawked at me and then bit down on her tongue.

"Do you need to ask me what I think?"

"I do, but right now I'd like to get to my party." By now I had already finished drying off and Shanna had just began. I casually walked over to where Shanna had thrown her clothes and the blanket and picked up the blanket. When I began to wrap myself in it I noticed a wet spot from when Shanna originally forced it on me, and I was a bit curious. I pulled the wet spot up to my face and took in a whiff of the spot, me, Shanna, and some more unexplainable scents pierced my nose. So this is what love smells like, I thought, I could only hope for more.

"You can be quite the freak, you know Ash?" I practically threw the blanket, she was just drying off, no way she dried off that fast. I looked over to where she was originally drying, but she wasn't there, I turned around and she was standing fully dressed and ready to go.

"No way you dried off that fast!?" I was completely flustered as she just stood there looking at me like I was crazy.

"You know how long you've been sniffing that?" she pointed back down to the wet part of the blanket.

"No more than a couple seconds."

"Nope, you've been going at it for a good couple minutes, I could hear you sniffing it from across the room." A piece of me died when she said that and I just slumped down and headed for the door. When I was about to reach the door I was slammed in the back and grabbed by the breasts through the cloth.

"Hey don't be so down about it, and don't worry I liked the show." She semi-whispered into my ear, I stood up straight shocked from her sudden advance. She let go when I reeled on her, she just laughed it off.

"Also I have a present for you but it's still in my room. So if you don't mind just going to my room instead, that'd be nice."

"Fine, but it better be nice or I'm going to steal your clothes." It wasn't a real surprise what her present was since she always made me a dress for my birthday. Yet I was actually surprised when I saw what the dresses actually looked like each time. It was fact she made them all by herself and they were just for me, that's what made her presents the best.

I finally opened the door and started to make my way to her room. It wasn't till I got to her hallway that I wondered what she was going to do. I turned around to ask her, but she wasn't there, probably should have expected that. Then I was hit with another realization that I hadn't encountered anyone else during my whole trip. I swear father must have cut down the number of guards in the castle because not even they were present. I guess it was nice that they weren't here since I was only covered by a blanket.

I made it to her door and opened it, fireplace and candles lit throughout the room. As I entered and closed the door behind me I was hit with a wave of discomfort. That being the one thing wrong with Shanna's room, it was always an uncomfortable place without her. For me it was the mannequins that she used for making her dresses that were so disturbing, their textureless faces and leathery bodies, they left the room in an eire state. Who was I to judge, I surrounded myself in books and she choose to surround herself in mannequins, but she really didn't have a choice did she?

Trying to keep from mentally destroying myself I tried to ignore them and instead focus on the bright box on Shanna's bed. The same box she'd used for the past five years, the box's sleek wood surface reflected the fire's light turning into a practical beacon. Standing next to it I admired the swirls and flowers that had been etched upon its surface. I pulled its top up and took a quick glance over it's insides, a note lying atop a stack of white strips of linen.

 _Dear, Ashadon_

 _Yet another year passes and yet I feel as if it has only been days. I wish I did not feel this way knowing the saying, Time flies when you're having fun. At the same time I take solace in knowing that I've been able to enjoy time with people like you and Zarcath. Due to recent events though I cringe at the name of our friend, but in my heart I know that more enjoyable times are coming. Besides all of my redirect above I'd like to say, Happy Birthday, and I hope to that you enjoy my handcrafted present for you and only you._

 _Your mistress, Shanna_

Well...that was certainly one of the more interesting things Shanna had written, when'd she become my mistress? I set the parchment onto her nightstand and began taking the cloths out of the box. Finally with it off, my eyes became glued to what was left inside. A ball gown made of Fiery and vibrant colors with what looked like streaks of gold woven in. I pulled it out and held it against my body, luckily Shanna had a mirror in her room, it was beautiful. Now I just needed some undergarments and I was ready for the party.

After sifting through some of Shanna's draws I found a pair that just barely fit my slightly bigger size and a piece of cloth to cover my breasts. Now with some undergarments I put on the dress making sure to be careful incase it was smaller than my current shape. Strangely enough with the dress on it seemed to fit a bit loosely and allowed for a decent range of movement. I couldn't remember the last time I had given Shanna the time to measure me, and the fact she'd worked on this for a year and was able to get the size right amazed me. Quickly I turned to the mirror and gave a twirl, a problem showed already, my breasts were practically the centerpiece of the dress. Wasn't like I could change anything, I needed to get to the party soon. I made for the door and out into the halls, after a quick sprint hop through the halls I made it to the main hall doors.

Oh, I wonder what was on the other side of these doors. I pushed them open and walked in eyes closed and smiling just wanting to get the beginning over with. Although no hoots or hurrahs sounded, I opened my eyes and was met with complete darkness. The door behind me slammed shut and I lost my shit, I thought I was gonna get attacked, I lit my hands with fire and brought them to the size of cabbages.

"STOP...STOP...STOP…!"

"PLEASE NO!"

"PUT OUT THE FIRE!"

"WHAT IS THIS JEST JARL!"

"I TOLD YOU SHE WOULDN'T LIKE IT!" Voices shouted all around me, figures began to run and dive around the hall, all the while I started to freak out myself. Meer seconds after the shouting and screams, braziers started to burst to life throughout the hall. I could see the faint flashes of some figures just finding cover by the time the entire hall was lit. I disbanded the fire from my hands and just flashed a quirky smile to the only person who didn't leave their seat, Father.

"Well...Happy Birthday!" Father rose from his seat and raised his mug in an attempt to toast. Some people now seeing the fire gone also rose from their cover and cautiously walked to their seats, raising their mugs and turning towards me.

"Ahhh...thank you!" I cringed, this is why I hate being the center of attention, I always manage to fuck up. Thankfully my end of the table was right next to the doors I'd come through, the empty chair next to Shanna screaming at me to sit on it. I quickly moved to it before a guard pulled the chair out for me to sit down, I threw my butt into the chair before he'd moved it back into place.

A minute of awkward silence passed as people cringe and twitched at what had just happened. Eventually small talk turned into full on conversations up and down the table, everyone took to their seats and the chefs began bringing out the first course. This party was off to a bad start, I totally ruined the opening bit and now everyone was on edge.

As the food began to be served I took the time to actually look over the crowd and the decor. The table itself stretched across the whole hall and gave seating to about fifty or maybe even a hundred of us with some empty spots I could only assume was for the chefs when they finished. Father sat at the head of one end while I sat at the other, I was sat next to Shanna and some stranger in a metal helmet, Father was seated with Xaria and an elf lady, her ears easily giving her away. The decorations were a nice green, black, and gold, on banners and streamers hung from the ceiling and laid across the table. Some banners had the traditional ram's skull banner of the city while others were like still images of things one might see at a festival.

"Hey...Ash!" I looked away from the decor and over to my left, Shanna waiting for me.

"Ya know you've been spacing out quite a lot today?"

"Sorry," I smiled" I've had quite a bit on my mind recently, and I've only spaced out twice that's not a lot."

"You don't see me spacing out when your're talking to me." I turned to my right to find a stranger in a helmet staring at me, but the gap in the face plate was too small for me to see their face.

"I'm sorry, I don't believe we've met before." the stranger echoed through his helmet, his hand came up from under the table.

"I'm Prince Articu of Windhelm, nice to make your acquaintance princess." My hand was about to make contact with his when I actually looked at it, it was covered in fur. I quickly raised my hand up slightly and brought it down on his in the shape of a fist. He clearly felt that one as he bashed his helmet against the table in what must have been an attempt to stay the sound of his pain. It also didn't help that he was wearing a dwemer helmet, and was apparently a prince from Windhelm, but he still got me to raise my hand which was the disappointment.

"Well I do say prince Articu, the fur on your hand reminds me of someone I know. His name is Zarcath, he's a pervert that roams the hall of my fair castle, he has a black and white pattern just like your hand." I continued to keep up my princess facuad just to piss him of some more.

"Come on, I was only in there because I needed to grab something."

"What would that have been?" As I finished I looked down and found my food served, a nice bloody steak with roasted potatoes and sprinkled with herbs, fantastic.

"That's none of your business." I glared him down, he's gonna wish I killed him if he thinks he had a right to be in there.

"Zarcath, you know what you saw last night!?"

"I saw two girls having a fun time." He said it with pure confidence and a slight hint of arrogance. I took my knife covered in the blood from my steak and inspected it in front of him.

"Hey Shanna, do you think it would be cannibalism to eat Zarcath?" Shanna looked at me with a slight dread, what did I go too far?

"Ash if you wanted to eat me out you just had to say." I put my cutlery down and just sat back for a minute while I thought of a comeback, I had none. Guess it was time to exucute my great plan that totally had nothing to do with the situation. I'd actually been planning on using the plan when we're older but I could try to bend it to work now.

"Zarcath, how do you feel about starting over?" The question seemed to change the mood of the atmosphere to a more serious feeling.

"What do you mean start over?"

"Well I feel like after last night our, well at least my thoughts, have changed about each other. So I'd like to see about wiping the slate clean and starting fresh like when we first met."

"You know you'd be asking me to forget about all the awesome things we did before yesterday's event?"

"That wasn't really what I was going for when I meant about starting over. I guess I was more so asking, do you want to go on an adventure?" When I looked at him he had a face that said, are you stupid? It was something I had quickly thought up on the way to Shanna's room. I thought of it as a bonding experience, and Xaria told me about how Mother, Father, and Her had forge their friendship through their own adventures.

"Why didn't you just say that, because what you said the first time was way different from what you're asking now. And what do you mean by an adventure?"

"Would you like to go on an adventure, take it or leave it? I'm not going to get into the specifics because then it'd be ruined." He broke eye contact, as in his helmet just tilted downward, and he stared at his food intently, as if it was really a trick question or something.

"Ash, what about me!?" Shanna whined from my left.

"If you want to come than you can, you just didn't strike me as the adventurous type." I wasn't being completely truthful with her, I had full intentions on asking her in the future.

"Being around you is an adventure in and of itself." She tried to be as sultry as she could. That forced a blush out of me and a laugh out of her. I went back to Zarcath and he was still looking at his food so I could only assume that conversation was lost. I began to work on my food again and just look around the room for something to focus on. Eventually I found myself looking down the table at Father and his new elf friend. It seemed like they were having quite the time since they were smiling and laughing. Then as if on queue, the conversation must have turned to me, Father and the elf lady looked down the table to me. I quickly looked down and went back to my food.

When I finished my meal the second course was just coming out and being served at Father's end. Eventually the last meals made it to us, a curry loaded with what looked like fish and vegetables. The fish and spice turned out to not be the most satisfying meal but still edible, but the heat almost made it unbearable to finish.

During the meal I made more small talk with Shanna, eye contact with the reflection of myself on Zarcath's helmet, and thought with myself. Finally the last course came around, carried by the head chef and five of his assistants, a six tier cake with what looked to be different flavours for each tier. I could only tell because it wasn't overdone with icing like most cakes, for me the less icing the better.

As soon as everyone else began to see the cake, a chant began urging me to cut it. As if they didn't notice the cake was still halfway across the room and still coming my way. When it landed on the table, the wood began to creak under its weight, and the chant had hit its peak. The Head chef, out of nowhere, pulled out a sword and handed it to me. It's weight greater than any other sword I'd held before and it's length longer for what I could only assume was to make up for the cakes size. To even further the point of how big the cake was, a chef brought out a small wooden stair step for me to get a better angle on the cake with.

The Chanting was killing my head, when I reached the top step I raised a hand to silence everyone. Finally the room had only become the sound people's breaths and creaking seats. Before I cut I took a quick look behind me and then raised the two hander over my shoulder. I threw all my strength into my overhead swing on the cake. It wasn't till about the sword was going down that someone began to say something.

"Wait, THAT'S…" It was too late as the blade entered the cake and cut through each tier and almost brought me with it through. When It was finally through though, the hall burst into laughter. I looked to find the cake mostly destroyed and somewhat barren. Then I looked to the sides and found the icing that originally coated the cake now coated everyone within a couple feet of the cake. I also found myself laughing unlike the chefs and a few other guests, but there was someone who was laughing just like me. I looked at Zarcath who was bending over in his chair, his helmet previously gold now a glossy white.

"YOU CAN'T GET ME!" he shouted at me over the crowd, grabbing the helmet by the sides and pulling it up and off. It seemed that everyone had instantly turned to him and became dead silent. Still Zarcath laughed till he noticed the room was completely silent except for him. His entire head had not a single hair from when I burned it off the previous night.

"Oh shit." He said bluntly, putting the helmet back on and then slamming it against the table for a second time. The crowd erupted with laughter yet again, but not for the cake victims but for the shamed Zarcath. When they laughed, I did not, a wave of guilt passed over me. It may have been his fault for pulling of the helmet, but that did not warrant the laughter he received. I felt that I need to stop it, he was still like my brother and needed protection. Yet when I went to open my mouth I just choked.

The laughing roared for another minute before subsiding and leaving everyone back to talking amongst themselves. By now I had sat back down and was just watching the chefs as they attempted to take what remained of the cake and divvy it out amongst the guests. I watched as a slice was laid before me but I didn't try to eat it instead opting to just look at it. The piece a nice wedge with some frosting left, a yellow tint to the batter signifying it to be what I assumed was lemon. It was awesome being the daughter of a jarl, I don't think I would have ever tasted a lemon otherwise.

"Yeah, I need to get out of here." I broke sight with the cake and looked at Zarcath, his helmet now half covered with icing. I just cracked a smile and turned back to the cake without a word. I took up a fork and began cutting up the cake into small bites before eating it. The party went on as usual while everyone ate what remnants of the cake they got. Otherwise the party was pretty dull even with the sound of instruments ringing through the hall. Although it was nice to have a more toned done party in comparison to the Carnival father had once let into the city.

When it seemed everyone in the hall had finished eating and had come to quite small talk, father stood. "Everyone here today, I thank you for coming to join in my daughters seventeenth birthday. I can't speak for all of you but I believe this has been quite the party. How'd I love to keep this going, but sadly we all have duties that must be attended to," the crowd all gave out whines and moans," so I'll thank all of you yet again for making this party even grander than it might have been without you all and hope to see you all at the next one."

Everyone just continued to sit in their seats as if they didn't understand father had already excused them. Father palmed his face, "When I said, we all had duties to attend to, I meant GET TO WORK!" At that outburst people jolted up out of their chairs. Some bumping into others as they tried to get out of the hall possibly fearing another outburst from their jarl. When the hall had cleared all who remained was Father, Xaria, Zarcath, father's guest, Shanna, a mix of servants and guards from the castle, and myself. But even then we still had a considerable amount of people left in the hall.

Then without warning the table shrunk to about a third of what it originally was. After the table shrinked, my chair shot forward to the table, I squealed. Now instead of being the hundred and so feet away from father, I was now only about thirty or so feet away. My hands still had a grip like that of the dead as I sat still trying to get my bearings. Father just stood up and started to walk to my end of the table with both Xaria and his guest flanking him. I tried to stand, my knees slightly shaking, but I had to grip the table for some help.

"So what do you think of your birthday so far, Ashadon?" father said, with a smile on his face, as he approached. Both Xaria and the elven woman from earlier brought up the rear.

"Up until the table and chair just now I'd say it's been quite nice."

"Yes, maybe a warning to everyone would have been sufficient."

"Very much."

"I know your birthday is all about you, but there's someone I'd like you to meet." The elven woman moved up from behind Father and stood by his left side. The woman seemed to tower over father like myself, at least a few finger widths taller. She wore a pure black dress with long sleeves and a bountiful skirt that touched the floor. Mixed with her slightly paled skin and even I would have thought she came for a funeral and not the party. Maybe it was some sort of ancestry amongst elves, but her face was almost a copy of Shanna's except for the strained lines that lined her eyes and expansive face.

"This is my friend Justicar Saranto, I so graciously extended her a invite to your party so that she might learn to enjoy herself. Being tied up at the embassy as often as she is it's to my understanding she doesn't get such privileges." So she is the woman who met with Father yesterday, the Justicar famed for her countless pursuit to get Father to open the gates to those of the Dominion.

Father had never mentioned the woman's name but had made it his monthly goal to rant to Shanna, Zarcath, and I about how she'd kept ranting about such and such and couldn't see something his way. At least it had been a once a month event and not weekly, I thank the gods that she couldn't make the trip from solitude every week. However, there was a time when I heard from the Silver-Blood Inn's barkeep Kleppr that a agent of the thalmor had bought a room for a month.

"It's nice to meet you Justicar, I hope my party hasn't failed to meet your expectations?" I put on my princess face, I don't think I could have been nice any other way.

"I'm sorry to tell you princess, but I was never one for parties. I fear that this is one of your father's ploys at trying to fade away from business. Although I will say that your party is very...extravagant, but it pales in comparison to the ones we hold at the embassy." Was she being serious right now, she was literally proving that thalmor were complete asses.

"I'm sorry to hear that, maybe you'll have to invite me to one of these embassy parties so that I might know what a true party looks like."

"I would be happy to show you what glory the Thalmor have to show the people of Skyrim. I'll even allow you to bring some friends, of course you'll have to send word to the embassy before hand so I'll be able to get permission from the ambassador."

"Ok," Father butted in," before you start trying to indoctrinate my daughter into your cult. I think we should start moving on with the party."

"Sapir, I do not take kindly to you calling the Aldmeri Dominion a cult! A cult is a group like the dragon worshippers and especially those who worship that barbarian Talos! And get your stupid hand off my back!" Saranto flipped on Father, forcing away his hand he had set on her and taking a very aggressive step away while turning towards him. Father's bodyguards, who had been lingering in the back, both moved closer to our circle and some of the nearby servants had hushed to watch the outburst.

"Saranto," Father hushed his voice," I don't take lightly to people disgracing my own citizens, especially the gods. And if you want to talk about barbarians then maybe we should take a trip to the local reachmen, I'm sure they would be happy to show you their religion."

"I will also remind you that this is a party, ruin it and I'll make sure the city guards know to never let a thalmor in again." All the while he held a smile on his face as if the tension of the conversation could not be felt. Saranto had continued to fall into Father's game as she relaxed and became placid in the face.

"Good, now that we're done with that, I think it's about time that we move onto the presents." Father put an almost musical spin on the end of his words. I showed my instant pleasure with a wide grin, teeth showing. But I could still feel the tension hanging in the air that almost hampered my happy reaction. "Also I'll be saving best for last."

"Well I've already given Ash my present." Shanna said, now standing in our loose group, throwing a death stare at Zarcath.

"Well then, maybe Zarcath should start before we get to the rest?" Father smiled at Zarcath, pleasant, but with some hidden meaning.

"Fine," he huffed," let me go grab it." He got up from his chair and headed for the hall entrance opposite to where I came in. When he reached the doors he waved a hand through it. Seconds later a group of guards holding what looked to be a box the size of horse pen, covered with a sheet, managed to enter the room. They walked all the way to me, set down the cage, and then stood off to the side. The cage began to shake lightly, no longer being held steady by the guards.

Zarcath grabbed a hold of the cloth,"I present to you," he whipped the cloth,"your first ever pet!" Inside the cage a full grown wolf just sat swaying left and right! The wolf was completely white except for it's two eyes surrounded with red fur that streaked back to it's ears, ending in fine lines.

"Why a wolf!" I squealed in shock, almost like the wolf, I myself started to sway back in forth.

"First, she's not actually a "wolf" wolf," he air quoted with his fingers," she's a dire wolf from what the breeder said. Second, I thought you might want a pet that could actually be with you instead of your supposed "pet" horses. Third, I had no idea what you might have wanted and father pushed me to get you a animal." As he finished I threw a dagger stare at my father.

"Now I did say a pet would be nice, but only as a suggestion, and I didn't say to go get a damn dire wolf."

"Ok well maybe you should have been a bit more specific and said to get her something that wasn't a wolf."

"How long has "she" been here?"

"Well it's been about a week give or take since I bought her. It was weird though, she was so excited to see new people when we showed up, and the mother didn't seem to like her so I ended up taking her." He stuck a finger through one of the holes and tried to poke the wolf, a somewhat sad look on his face.

"Wait, the **mother** , Zarcath how old is she!?" he looked back up at me but only shot his gaze off to the side after a quick peek.

"Well the breeder said she was apart of a "fresh" batch so…maybe a month or two give or take?" If this thing was only about a month old and was already as tall as my waist, how big could it get!?

"Zarcath did you even see the mother?" I looked at him with a blank face and slowly took some steps towards him. He didn't reply as we stood for a couple of seconds, I punched him in the gut.

"As big as a horse!" he huffed out as he held onto the cage as a support, all the while the wolf just watched.

"Are you shiting me,"I yelled at him," you just gave me an animal that will grow to the size of a horse! Zarcath, that's bigger than me, who's to say she won't eat me?"

"She's domesticated, unless you decided to start hitting her, you'll be ok."

I felt something brush my leg as I leaned over the cage, it was Shanna. She knelt next to the cage and put a finger through a hole and poked the wolf's nose. The wolf stopped swaying as shanna held her finger against it's nose and just stared at her. Then in a quick lean of the head the wolf snapped open its jaw and then closed it around Shanna's finger.

"Are you kidding me!?" Zarcath ran around the side of the cage to the front in some attempt to save Shanna even though she had shown no signs of pain in the seconds that had passed.

"I vouched for you, you damn mutt, and here you go attacking people!" For what was happening, Zarcath was the only person freaking out, the room was completely silent except for some of the guests shuffling forward to better see what was happening. Zarcath grabbed a hold of Shanna's hand and tried to pull it away from the cage and the wolf.

"Zarcath, stop it, she's not biting me you stupid just look." Everyone who could actually see it from the start had probably understood what was happening and that was probably why they hadn't been freaking out. On closer inspections the wolf had actually been sucking on Shanna's finger, a bit disturbing may it be, but more so disgusting. At least to me it was disgusting, I'd been licked by a dog before, and it wasn't nice.

"Well…how about those presents yeah?" Zarcath was now standing, one hand on his helmet and one on his hip, just his body posture gave away his embarrassment from under the helmet.

"Can I take her out?" Shanna asked

"I have no problem with that." I said, and unlatched the cage myself.

"Make sure you keep her in here though, I'd prefer not to have a wolf hunt in the city." Father added.

"Well I guess I'll be going next." Xaria broke from father's side and pulled out a small wrapped box from behind her back. Minding the wolf as she extended it over Shanna.

I shook the box as I had always done with such presents, but nothing sounded

"I thought as much." she said as she finished walking back to father.

I huffed now looking at the bow of cloth wrapped around the box. I took a minute or two just trying to open it with my fingers but it wouldn't let up. A guard tried to offer me his knife to cut the bow but I turned it down, instead turning my gaze to the wolf.

"Zarcath are these dire wolfs any smarter than maybe a dog?"

"How should I know, a dog is a dog, and dogs chase their tails."

Nice, I bent down to the wolf, instead of sucking on only Shanna's index finger she was sucking on all three of fingers.

"That seriously doesn't bother you?"

"Nope, it's actually quite nice," she swayed her head over to mine"I wouldn't mind if you tried it." she whispered. She was raising her game to whole new heights saying stuff like that in here with everyone around.

"Another time." I poked the wolf in one of her side chops or lips, whatever you called them. She didn't stop sucking on Shanna's fingers but did give me one of her eyes in acknowledgement. I raised the box up to her eye, "Shred" I said, she stopped her sucking and snapped the box out of my hand. Gripping the bow by the top she pressed her two paws onto the top of the small box and yanked her head back. The entire top of the box ripped off with that yank and she just sat back on her hunches and grabbed Shanna's fingers back into her mouth.

"I wouldn't have been surprised if you'd had destroyed your present with that stunt." Xaria said with a noticeable hint of displeasure.

"Hey, at least we don't have to train her." Zarcath added in his attempt at humor.

"Don't tell me you thought "we" were going to help you?" father seemed genuinely surprised, going as far as to raise his brows.

"We'll yeah, she's a part of the family now, and family takes care of family."

"I didn't know family stalks family to?" Shanna whispered to me again, I only gave her a nod and a slight smile.

I grabbed what was left of the box and stood. The inside was filled with cloth stripes which must have been why I didn't hear anything earlier. I pushed aside some of the cloth till I found what looked like the beginnings of a ring. I took off the layers atop of the ring and exposed it for all near to see. It was smooth on the inside with hard engravings along the outside and shined surprisingly well for what was iron. It was the center piece that was amazing though, a nice rectangular ruby sat indented into the flat top of the ring.

"Made it mostly by myself and the twins but the ring itself was done by Moth."

"Hope you like it." Moth said from somewhere on the outside of our circle.

"Don't worry I do." I half shouted as I continued to inspect the ring.

"Ash, do you notice anything strange about that ring?" Xaria questioned, it was oddly shiny, I wouldn't be surprised if she meant it was enchanted.

"It's better than your last gift?" I said, a potion that turns the color of objects randomly isn't the coolest present I'd gotten from her.

"No, it's special in that the gem on top may or may not be filled with the souls of spriggans." That was a bit shocking to me now knowing on my finger lay the souls of some dead creatures, what a way to kill beauty.

"That makes this ring special how?"

"Well first, it's filled with however many souls of the damn things the kids and I killed, and let me tell you, not fun. Second, it's a birthday gift so you should be happy I at least got you something. Third, the main reason this ring is actually special, the soul's work as a amplifier for your magic, so expect to be casting some stronger spells with that thing on."

"How much more "amplified" does it make my spells?"

"Try for yourself." I held the ring in my left hand as I drew up a flame in my right hand. The flame was about the size of an apple and just sat idling in my hand. Some of the people around me began to back up thinking I was probably about to light the place up again. Extinguishing the fire, I slipped the ring onto my ring hand, I tried to bring the flame back. This time the flame engulfed my entire hand, gasps sounded throughout the hall, the fire almost licking the ends of my hair.

"That...is pretty cool."

"Don't you mean hot." Zarcath said, fingers drumming the air, why the puns, why? He probably felt the total shame everyone was sending him since he just folded his arms and went back to leaning on the cage.

"So, where are the twins right now?"

"Ah, yes, my dearest twins couldn't make it to your birthday. They said they had to go grab some items for their magic shop. Not like they could have just asked their mother for some ingredients."

"I guess I'll go check on them when they come back then."

"Well, now that the small things are out of the way, let's get to my present for you." Father clapped his hands, grabbing everyone's attention, the doors now opposite from where Zarcath brought forth his present, opened. A group of guards carrying a platform, with what looked like a person under a cover on it, entered and began approaching us. When they were less than about fifth-teen or so paces away they lowered the platform and set themselves in two lines flanking the platform.

"Now, two options, everyone who contributed to this project can uncover it for you or you can uncover it yourself." I thought on it but only for a moment.

"I'd like the first." with that said, Xaria, Father, and Shanna, with the wolf in tow, went to the platform.

"Moth get you ass over here." Father turned to look at the crowd formed around the front of the platform.

"Yes my Jarl!" he shoved his way through the depths of the crowd, a few excuse me's later, he stood along with the other three.

"On the count of three." Father said, everyone grabbed a part of the cloth.

"One...Two...Three!" They all threw the cloth up as fast as they could and whipped it to the side. Finally what had lay beneath that cloth had been revealed.

The crowd started to praise and gasp as I just stood in awe. A full set of what looked to be leather armor with steel reinforcements along it clung to a wooden mannequin. The light reflecting off the polished armor causing slight spots of shine to strike my eyes. Yet, not only was there armor, the sight of both a bow and a scabbard caught my attention next. The bow looked to be made of a rich dark brown wood with engravings all along its arms, and little ornaments hanging from the middle. While the scabbard still leaned against the mannequin, I could tell nothing of the blade itself, but the shape had been of nothing I'd seen before. Curved, similar to that of the blades of the red guard peoples, but longer and a bit straight and with a thinner handle.

"I'd say it was worth every septim." Father said, he had a grin on his face that really showed off how pleased he was.

"Her face would say the same." Xaria had managed a grin, I couldn't feel it but I must have had my mouth at least slightly ajar.

"Can I...touch it?" I asked, I still couldn't believe that these in anyway could be mine, it seemed so foreign. Who'd ever heard of girl, well maybe a woman depending on what you considered a woman, that had a full set of armor and weapons, especially a princess!?

"It's yours, just don't lose any of it."

"Try not to damage it too much while you're at it. It did take me a good two weeks to just make the thing. I could only imagine having to repair it especially with those damn enchantments." Moth said, two weeks to just make this seemed a bit excessive, but enchantments!

"It's enchanted!" I blurted out, damn thing must have cost more than what a ransom was worth.

"Indeed it is," Xaria began," took me the best part of a month to just enchant it, and another just to get the soul gems delivered."

"What kind of enchantments though?!" I was becoming a drooling dog with every passing second I didn't know the secrets of the armor.

"Nothing too serious, just some more enhancement encantes to help with your fighting abilities." Could she have been any more vague with her answer I would have dropped dead still not knowing the powers of the armor.

I began to step towards the platform and up it's small one step that was actually the platform itself. The enchantments Xaria had mentioned were actually noticeable now that I was mere inches away from them. Both the head piece and the chest piece had shimmers of red while the boots had a green glow, but strangely enough the gauntlets had a grey glow. I hadn't really gotten into Xaria's lessons on enchanting, but this was something I had never heard or seen of before. Moving on, I looked over the bow, the engravings had turned out to be nothing more than waves and lines but still gave the bow an appealing aesthetic. The bow was also enchanted, a shimmer of red and orange, definitely a fire enchant.

Then all that was left was a quiver of arrows and the scabbard sword. I reached for the quiver and drew out an arrow, its tip covered in a cold mist.

"Enchanted arrows, not really fun when your making them, but a blast when actually using them." Xaria said, I'd picked out another arrow, this one covered in a purple mist. I picked through a couple more, blues, yellows, blacks, reds, oranges, and just about any other color that existed, a total of sixty arrows, crowded in the leather container. I'd probably have to test a few though just to get an idea of their full potential.

Then the sword, I picked it up by its belt, and then I grabbed it by the handle with one hand and the scabbard with the other. I drew the blade out, the _shink_ of the blade leaving its sheath sounded through the hall. When the blade was finally out, it's polished length showed me my reflection, it was similar in design to only one other type of sword, a Blade's sword.

Guess those history classes were starting to come in handy.

Much of it looked exactly like one, the only differences being the etchings and designs the blade held. It sadly enough was a normal sword in that it had no enchantments but it still looked like a generally nice sword, I slide it back into the scabbard.

"You best hope that's not the real thing Jarl, the dominion might get the idea you've sided with the enemy." It was the second time I'd heard the voice, but the first time I saw the person who held it.

"Your actually serious, aren't you, just after what I said?" Father was genuinely disappointed, as he turned to her, putting his hands on his hips.

"I'm just saying, that one looks pretty real to me, it'd be a shame if someone said something about it."

"I invite you to come and enjoy a party, which up until minutes ago, I'd say was going quite swell. Then after I warn you to keep to yourself, you make a threat to my daughter for having a weapon of your ancient enemy, the spooky ghost that haunts the Dominion. I'd say I've taken many weapons off my own enemies to have as both trophies and weapons for myself, so I see no reason for you to threaten her for having such a sword that was from my personal collection."

"It wasn't a threat it was more so a statement of concern." she brushed off Father with that and just went to stare idly around the room.

"How about you, I don't know, apologize to my daughter."

"I have nothing to apologize for!" she looked back at father, slightly baring her teeth, the sound of guards armor slightly shifting.

"Fine, be it as you will, our visits stop now, unless you have a gift for the party, in which I'd gladly make time for a visit tomorrow." Father was indeed a strange man, playing her the way he had before.

"Fine, yes I do have a gift, just get your feet off my back Jarl!" Now she was all smiles and acted like nothing was wrong.

"At least I can keep my hands on you." Saranto had been reaching into a pocket of her dress when she shot her eyes up to look at father. The crowd to had gone especially quite with his comment, and seemed to await an answer before even considering making a noise, I also awaited an explanation.

"Metaphors people, Metaphors, I've never touched this woman before!" Father was all out blushing, and so was Saranto, although the crowd just laughed in belief it was a jest, I had a feeling it wasn't.

"Your jests make me sick Sapir." Saranto had finally fished out a small book, nothing really special about it, and handed it to me.

"Only tell your father when I'm gone, girl." She whispered in my ear, whatever that was supposed to mean, but I understood when I opened the cover. " _The Lusty Argonian vol.1",_ I closed the cover, blankly staring at her. So that was why she was all smiles when Father made her give up her 'gift'.

"Thanks…" the few moments of awkwardness passed painfully slow.

"Your welcome."

"It would appear that there's no more presents to be had, unless someone has a second one in hiding?" Father gave a quick scan of the room, "Ok then, I would like to thank all of you yet again for being able to attend my daughter Ashadon's birthday. I'd also like to give a special thanks to our chefs for making such exquisite food this evening, those of the guard for keeping our little event under control, and to the rest of you for keeping our home running and looking at its finest. I'd say that this was the best party we've had yet, what of you Ash, what do you think?"His sarcasm just seemed to beam out of him as he smiled at me.

"I think I'd have to agree." The room broke out in applause, some cheering, some hopping around, but most opting for a great round of claps. It died slowly die as father began to try and control them to get out whatever he had to say.

"Calm yourselves people," he managed to get over the last couple hoots," as a present from me to all of you the rest of the day is yours to be had." Yet again the hall erupted into hooting. "Now get out of my hall you beasts!"

The crowd began shifting towards the staircase and eventually to the main hallway between the main hall/room and the doors to the keep. Even father had begun to wander with the crowd to the stairs, Saranto in tow. It took some time but the hall had become silent and only myself and a few others were left to stand and wander.

"I can't wait for the next one." Zarcath sarcastically said from behind me, I turned around.

"As long as I don't end up being covered in cake." Shanna was sliding her hands along her dress looking for the remains of the massacred cake.

"I doubt that I'll be having another birthday for a couple of years, I can only imagine what it cost to have this one, presents included."

"Eleven-thousand three hundred and ninety-one gold pieces, and a era of time." Father walked up from behind, both Zarcath and Shanna had a wide eyed look at the mention of the money, I myself was surprised he went all out. "You won't be getting any presents for the rest of your life."His voice was hoarse and his face scrunched with frustration.

I looked back to the stairs where he'd takin Saranto, she was standing at the top most step with her eyes boring into the back of Father's head. Her own face was smitten with frustration, but her eyes seemed to sparkle before she broke contact and started going down the stairs.

"Well I hope that doesn't count for all of us, I still want a set of enchanted armor and weapons." Zarcath must have been really jealous mentioning that he wanted the same things I'd gotten.

"I don't think you're my only true son or daughter, now are you?"

"I may not be but you still took me in as you own, I'd prefer to be treated as such."

"Really now, I can do that," Father walked up to Zarcath and put him in a chokehold," tell me, how does it feel to be treated like one of my own?" Zarcath spazzed out and started to try and throw father over his back and onto the ground. Only accomplishing to be thrown to the stone floor and face planting against the cold stone, his helmet saving him from a broken face.

"So what you going to name our little wolf friend?" I turned away from the scuffle, Zarcath definitely lost, and yet I could still hear him choking and thrashing as father continued working him. The sight that presented me when I turned around wasn't to different from when we had first let the wolf out, it still sat and still sucked on Shanna's fingers, and this time though Shanna was standing. I took a step or two and reached down, stroking my hands through the wolf's thick fur, I can't wait for the bath time with this girl.

"I haven't considered, it's not like I knew I was getting a pet today."

"You don't need to have a name planned out ya know, just look at her, and give her a name."

Indeed I did look, but I couldn't just call her "Suck", nothing really came to mind. I began running through random names yet they were all so human that they wouldn't work with a wolf such as herself. I eventually got a bit desperate, "Ashanna?", Shanna just shook her head. I looked over her again, but parts of her contradicted what I wanted to call her, I couldn't call her Snowy if she had fire like streaks of red coming from her eyes. I found myself cluelessly stroking the wolf, not even attempting to guess anymore names, but something in my mind sparked.

I broke the trance that the wolf had put on me and looked around for something like a pen and paper. Yet there was none to be had in the hall considering there wasn't a real need for such items in a place of feast and conversation. There was however a few guards still lingering around, most actually watching Zarcath getting his ass handed to him and cheering on their king, I walked over to the circle making up their sparring area. Not really bothering to watch the match, other than for when father broke a chair over Zarcath's still helmeted head, I poked one of the guards shoulder's.

He turned around, a bit surprised he seemed to meeting eyes with me, "How may I be of service my lady?"

"Would you mind fetching me a quill and paper."

"It will be done." The guard broke from the circle and went off to fetch the supplies. I on the other hand took his place and watched as Father and Zarcath sparred.

What had started out as just some playfulness, if that at all, had turned into a full blow tavern style brawl. The remnants of the broken chair had found pieces of itself in the hands of the two combatants, used like blunt daggers to strike at each other. Zarcath swayed slightly as he stood in wait of an attack while Father stood slightly hunched but calm waiting for an opening, strangely enough he was shirtless, I wonder how he made time for that. Father, not wanting to waste anymore time, started fainting left and right swings from his daggers causing Zarcath to slightly step forward in an attempt to block what he perceived as a full on attack.

Father took the chance and closed the distance, sidestepping Zarcath's guard, and beat down on Zarcath's wrist with one of his "daggers". Zarcath released the wood and hissed in pain, but Father didn't back off. He raised his leg all the way up onto Zarcath's back and literally pushed off of him and up raising himself a good two or three feet off the ground till Zarcath gave out and flopped to the ground. Although when they hit the ground, an audible crack sounded, and the circle went silent except for a quick cat like shriek of pain.

"Fuck, looks like the healer won't be getting a night off, boys grab his legs, were off to the healer!" Father grabbed what of Zarcath's upper body he could and the group of guards supported the rest of him or just stood ready to go for the healer's chambers. I stood a bit shocked as they hauled his unconscious body away, Father had broken a few of my bones when we spared, but this was way different, I now knew how it felt to be the person to witness the breaking. Just the painstaking sound as the bone couldn't bear the impact and snapped in half.

"I have brought your requested items my lady." It hadn't reached my mind the first time the guard said it, he repeated himself.

"Ah, thank you."

"So who won?"

"Go to the Healer's chambers and find out for yourself." Sadly enough the man got giddy and started booking it to the Healer's, must have placed some bets and wanted to know if they paid off. I turned back to Shanna and the wolf, now the wolf was lying on her back in Shanna's lap sucking on her finger upside down, I walked over and set both myself and the supplies down on the floor.

"Ok let's try this." I poked the girl in the stomach a couple times till she rolled in Shanna's lap and stood up. I grabbed the quill and dipped it in the ink, I made some writing motions with the quill, "Your name." I offered the quill, she opened her mouth and fit the quill in it, at first I thought she was really going to write something. Then, however, I found myself being attacked with the inked end of the quill.

"Damn dog, stop, stop it now." After a quick minute of me trying to push her away, she dropped the quill, but the damage was done. I could feel the wetness of the ink all over my face and just looking at the collar of my dress showed some thin lines of ink. The damn wolf started prancing around Shanna with that "look at what I did" kinda look, just roaming in bliss.

"I might as well name you ass, cause that's what you're being right now." As soon as I finished, my head began to ache, it felt like someone just took a club and bashed me over the head. I bared my teeth, grunting a bit just to ease the pain, I stood up with a stumble and looked around for anyone else in the room, empty.

"Ash what's wrong?!" I turned to Shanna, she stood straight up, and then shot right down to the floor. She was completely knocked out, it was like she got hit over the head, but unlike me she was back on the floor in seconds. I went to yell for help but right as I went to yell, I was struck with an even worse pain, the air I had prepared all escaped in one puff. My ears began to ring and my vision started to darken as I fought to move, I used the table to support me as I dragged along.

As I got farther down the table and closer to the door, the ringing intensified and I felt myself drain of what little energy I had left, I hit the cold stone floor face first. I laid on the floor, barely noticing the pain spread across my face, sound slowly returning as the ringing began to recede, but my vision only got darker and darker as the light disappeared. The sound of something hard and sharp clattered against the floor, the noise coming closer within a few passing moments, it stopped right next to my head.

"Have a nice trip you little whore." The voice soft and seductive, the heat of it's words brushing against my neck, but so cruel and deceptive all the while. Throughout the city of my mind, quietness reigned, not a word was said, not a sound was made, for no one existed in the city that had once contained bustling markets and streets filled with the laughter of children. Just darkness and quietness, that's all I could think about, and I would bath in such waters till my city was rebuilt and back to the old times of light and laughter.

 _I opened my eyes, light flooded the darkness, I groaned in pain. My eyes took their time adjusting to the light but when they focused I was not surprised of where I was, no longer was I in the castle , but in the center of my mind's city. Quietness still enveloped most of the city square but the sounds of birds made a nice addition to the emptiness around me._

 _I found myself sitting on the square's main water fountain, swishing my hand back and forth through the water, but it felt like I had been here without actually being "here". It was like my body had unconsciously been moving around doing as it pleased and I had just stepped back in to take control._

 _I stood up and took a quick look around, market stalls, benches, trees, and a few birds here and there, but no man, woman, or children came to sight. However just looking at the stalls, organized with what goods were sold there, it looked like they had just recently been occupied. Maybe they were having a ball at the castle or playing a game of hide and go seek through the town, it wasn't rare for the amount of times I'd visited the town for such events to just happen._

 _Nonetheless I probably had a few hours to venture and do as I pleased before I woke up. Oh what fun it'll be when I wake up and the bastard who whacked me feels my wrath. Shit, I need to wake up, the longer I'm in here the more likely I was fucked in the real world. I looked around again trying to find the castle, considering it was visible from just about anywhere, it wasn't too hard to spot. It's white stone gleaming against the light of the sun._

 _I kept up a fast paced walk with a bit of jogging every now and then to make sure I made good on time. I passed through street after street all nearly the same with hanging gardens and balconies mounted on the sides of buildings or above windows. Nearly all the houses were the same, two to three floors tall and made of cut stones._

 _The castle began to come closer and closer but still felt like it was so far out._

 _I came to a stop outside a nice, slim, two-story house with a huge store window. Inside, on little pedestals, pastries were spread out and set up for all of those who passed to see. Nearest to the window stood the cakes, some so tall they'd reached up to my chest. They all had different designs on them, most seemed to be representations of the seasons, snowflakes, red, orange, and yellow leaves, bright flowers, and bright green leaves. Off to the side, one of the cakes made its presence know, a wedding cake stood all alone._

 _I admired it's simplistic form of white icing and pink bands going up and down like streamers at a party, I wouldn't have been surprised if my memory ripped them right from the party, they looked that similar. Then right on the top stood two little statues, a crudely carved man and woman, holding hands, their featureless heads tilted and looking as if they were going in for a kiss. I blushed a little, I wondered if I'd ever find the perfect someone._

" _To bad you'll never get the chance to find out." I jumped at the sound of the voice, a shot of energy burst through my veins, it was the same as the one I heard from before I arrived in my mind's city._

 _In the glass I could pick out something moving right up on me from behind. I whipped around, a bit too late might I add, I was met with a blade already coming down at its highest point in it's arch. I raised my hand in a feeble attempt to block the blade, BOOOOM!_

 _Everything around me changed in an instance, the sky no longer bright and clear, but a storm streak with the impacts of lightning and great balls of fire. The houses, no longer full and wholesome, but alight with fires and some destroyed to rubble. The streets, no longer lonely and quiet, but loosely filled with fighting soldiers and the wails of their battle cries. I found myself right amongst them, sword locked with whoever tried to kill me, fully dressed in my armor and ready to fight._

" _I guess I don't have as much power in here as I thought." The figure pushed off my own sword with theirs, I raised my sword to hip level and took them in. All of their armor specially designed to resemble that of a wolf, but nonetheless, it was made of studded leather and draped in what looked like a fur cloak. Their blade wasn't anything to special, but her hands looked like they had talons of metal extending from the tips, this should be fun. No sooner than the thought itself, a yell burst from my left, I swiveled my body and braced for what was to come._

 _A bear of a man wielding dual axes came running from out of some destroyed building. It would be an easy kill, side step and slice, and it had been. It went just as I wanted and the man's body fell down with his hands clutching his throat. Something in me snapped though, the blood poured out of his neck were he let his hands slid away, I threw up. The blood just kept gushing out as he spasmed and choked on the ground._

 _I flashed my eyes away from the mixture of bile and blood, the war still raged, but the grunts and shouts had faded to the distance. That wasn't for the best as luck would have it. All the soldiers that had been decked in shining plate and steel armor now lied dead where they fell, but for those dressed in their leathers and animal skins, they stood at the ready to engage me. It was a practical lose at this point, my back was literally feet away from a destroyed ruins, and they had already cut off my exits. At least it was just a dream and I wouldn't die in my first battle. I raised my sword ready to go out in what most called a hero's death, the wolf figure stepped forward._

" _It's a shame that such a pup like yourself is the last to survive, guess those soldiers must have been mere boys, poor excuses for men. Yet I'll give you a chance, last me in a duel for a minute, and you'll be free to outrun my wolves." The soldiers started hollering and yelling in pleasure, guess they were the wolves." Or you could try running now, but you'll find you can't outrun me."_

" _Either way I'm probably gonna die, might as well have fun doing it." I wiped out a fireball from my left hand and threw, I must have still had the ring of whatever on, the ball double in size as it hurled towards the armored woman. The sight of her completely disappeared from behind the ball of flames, but then the flames disappeared, she had used some sort of ward to block the ball but that didn't stop it from killing a man or two behind her._

" _Magic never really was my strong suit, but I'll let it slide, your gonna need it." She darted forward, I drew up an ice spell, covering the ground between us in a thin layer of slick ice. Only that didn't help, she jumped a good four or five feet or the ice and landed right in front of me. I tilted back as her sword shot up along my chest in an attempt to pierce my jaw. Falling back I twisted around and rammed the butt of my sword into the stone of the bakeries wall, just managing to stop myself from face planting against it. However,I had left my entire back side open and paid the consequences as I felt her sword slice the back side of my right leg and trailing up my thigh till it departed at my butt. The pain so great I felt like I was actually going to pass out. I pushed off what existed of the ruined wall and tried to throw myself behind my sword trying to pierce the woman through the gut. She sidestepped that and slashed my back, the armor took it all, I felt the impact of the sword throw me forward, the cheers of the soldiers growing with each hit._

" _Come on, you can do better than that, you don't have to much longer." I pushed off the ground and stood on my right leg, my left covered in blood and pulsing in pain. I went on the defensive, backing myself up against the ruins, sword raised for whatever came next. She broke my defense every time, like she knew my style before we even started, leaving a new bleeding cut each time. Only minutes had began since we started and she had me backed against the ruins of the pastry shop, leaning against it just to keep from falling. I dumped the last of my magic into healing whatever wounds I could and it probably wouldn't have helped if it hadn't been for the ring._

" _You can lick your wounds but it won't make them any better. Yet I think we can end off our little session here." Everything stopped, the shouting, the cheering, the thunder, the lightning, even the fires had come to a complete stop, but the woman still swayed, still twirled her sword, ready to finish it._

" _What are you?!" I grunted._

" _Well here, I'm a woman such as yourself," she unlatched whatever things kept her helmet on, on the back."but in the real world, you'd call me your pet." The woman's hair poured out of her helmet as she raised it off. White as snow, and as smooth looking as ale being poured from a tankard. Then, when her hair settled off to the sides, her eyes, two perfect streaks of red lined around each eye and then brought back in a sharp upturn from the corner of said eyes and onto the sides of her face. Using just her looks and the fact I'd call her my "pet" if we weren't here, it wasn't that hard to make the connection._

" _Trollshit, who are you, becuase there's no way in oblivion you're my "pet"." I slightly lowered my sword, maybe she'd actually stick to conversing and not trying to kill me._

" _Believe it or not." She started strutting forward, the swings of her hips and bounce of her chest catching my eyes if only for a second, somehow reminding me of Shanna if anybody. When she was about a step or two away, she dropped her sword, and grabbed my wrist with her slender hand. I was gonna draw back but she was a bit strong on the grip and I wasn't ready to have my wrist dislocated anytime soon. She lifted my hand to her mouth, slightly parting her lips, and shoved my middle finger in. Her ruby lips clamped down and her tongue started working the length of my finger. I just stared at her face, fuck was she beautiful, a set of cheekbones that would make a skeleton whistle, skin as bright as snow but tinted with a very light tan, her eyes lit like that of a bronze coin, and finally her ears which made for a perfect match if compared to a dog._

 _Something wasn't right in my head, emotions scattered, thoughts scattered, will scattered. I knew this wasn't right, I wanted to kill the woman right here but the fibers in my body stayed lax and left me slumped against the wall of the bakery._

 _It went on for what seemed like forever, the rough texture of her tongue becoming smoother with the passing time. Maybe I was way to forgiving, or she'd cast a spell on me, but I was already daydreaming about speeding things up and just burning our clothes off._

" _Fuck me!" I blurted out, letting my frustration get the best of me._

" _Are you sure, I wouldn't call this the most romantic setting, I personally wouldn't mind?" She'd already pulled off of my finger and was now pushing herself as close as she could into my body._

" _No, I don't want to actually fuck, I'm just thinking aloud!"_

" _You sure, we just got done doing our little warm up, I'm warm, you're warm, and I'm really starting to get in the mood." Her hands were literally riding down the side of my torso and getting ever so closer to my ass._

" _Yes, I am sure, I really don't want to have sex right here and right now!"_

" _Hmm, how bout later tonight, I can wait till then?" Her hands lightly residing on the sides of my thighs._

" _Sure, why not, tonight we can have sex." What in oblivion was I doing, I wasn't even sure if this was my 'pet' to begin with, and yet I just promised to hand out some free sex to her. Goes to show how much I actually respected myself and my body, but she…_

" _Great!" she shot her hands around my thighs and to my butt giving each cheek a quick squeeze, even through my armor I could feel it like skin on skin. She followed it up with a quick kiss to the lips. Whatever, it was a dream, a wet dream I guess. Well, a really twisted wet dream at that._

" _Are you a whore, I'm starting to think you're not actually my 'pet'?" I pushed her off me and gave my lips a quick swipe of my wrist, both her kiss and my saliva trailing along the the leather._

" _I'm sure, just a really horny girl looking to get off, also you do remember you'll have to still deal with my wolves?"_

" _What, can't you just call them off, I'd like to not have to fight anymore than I already have!?" As if I wasn't sore enough from our earlier fight and she still expected me to take on her little mob of barbarians._

" _To be honest, I'm more of a handler in a sense that I can give them orders but they still have their own free will of whether they chose to follow them. I do have some slight control over them but that goes only as far as being able to freeze them for short spans of time and this…" with the snap of the fingers the barbarians exploded into a wall of black smoke, but when the smoke cleared seconds later, no longer did barbarians stand as solid as stone but wolves scattered the scene. Some in mid jump and others in mid sprint but all still on a straight course for me._

" _Gods," she giggled," this reminds me of a kid whose dreams I wiggled on into a few days ago. I spent a good few hours chasing him through the woods with the boys right here. I wish you could have seen the hair on him when I yanked him out of some house he'd been shaked up in, not to mention that tail of his, shot right up as I kicked in the door!" She kept up her maniacal laughter._

 _Honestly, this had to be the most sadistic person I'd ever met._

" _So...yeah...do I get a head start?" This was going to be the most I'd probably ran in my life. Or I could try to catch her off guard and kill her now?_

" _Fine, only for you, but you better go all out tonight. And I can hear you, don't even try it. The only reason you're alive is because I've let you make it this far." She began walking towards the pack of wolves, "10...9...8...7…" but I was already off at the sound of ten. I went right around the crumbled ruins of the bakery and into a back alley littered with trees and shrubs. I looked up only to find my sight obscured by the limbs and leaves of any trees, going with my gut then. I took a right hoping it was still parallel to the road I was originally traveling before the duel, sprinting as fast as I could. Not a second later the pack of wolves skidded into the alley from where I had come in and were already making up the distance between us._

 _All sound seemed to come back in an instant, thunder striking in the distance, the balls of fire traveling through the air, and buildings crumbling._

 _I kept looking straight, making sure not to bump or trip into anything, I could only imagine the pain of having my body ripped to shreds by wolves. Already my legs began to give into the pain of the constant sprint. I could see an end to the alley though, trees stopped lining the end and the sight of a fountain laid at the opening of the lane. I went all out, pumping whatever energy I had left into my legs, I breached through the shade and into the open square. I made it all the way to the fountain before I dropped and hit the fountain's rim, feet first, tumbling right into the water. Gasping for air, I choked in water instead, I whipped my head up and out of the water throwing up whatever water that I had in my lungs._

 _I swiveled my head to the side to look back at the wolves, even with the burning buildings and various other sources of light, they were barely visible but they had just breached the opening of the alley. It'd be too late to start running again, I sat in the fountain just looking at the thundering clouds waiting for the wolves to pounce me. The thunder almost seemed to be growing in sound almost like it was getting closer or whatever was happening, maybe the clouds would come to eat me, I chuckled at my own stupidity in the face of death._

 _I counted in my head of how long I probably had left, 8...7...6...5…., the sound of the thunder roared in my ears, DADA DA DADA DA DADA! 4...3…., the snarls of the wolves became clearer as they were probably but a few dozen feet away._

" _LANCES READY!" A voice broke out against the sounds of the thundering and the snarling of the wolves, I whipped my head to the right. A dozen armored horses carrying soldiers clad in glass armor, wielding lances of almost pure light came charging towards the wolf pack, the honor guard had finally arrived._

 _The wolves didn't even bother looking at the new enemies, instead, opting to continue their head on charge for me. They faced the consequence right at the last second when the one in the lead, a shaggy looking wolf of a black coak and face smeared in foam, was merely a foot from the fountain's edge._

 _The one in lead took a lance right through the head, and others met similar fates either by lances or the hooves of the horses, the sound of bones cracking became the new and loudest sound around. I stared in awe as the bodies of the wolves, instead of simply falling to the ground, blow up into clouds of the same black smoke as before. The riders seemed nowhere near as paralyzed as myself, merely dropping their lances and switching to swords rippling in the same white light as the lances._

" _My Queen, glad to see your still well, but we need to leave now!" The lead soldier, Abren, if memory serves me correct, had positioned his horse at the edge of the fountain and stepped down and into it, quickly picking me up by the sides and hoisting me onto the back end of the horse._

" _Great...timing...as always!" I managed to both gasp in air and shout all the while he remounted the horse._

" _Well if you haven't noticed the city is under siege my lady, we've been dealing with evacuations, and we weren't able to find you so our problems are many. Come on men, were moving out!" The group had formed a half circle around the fountain and had managed to wipe out just about every wolf in the pack except for a stray few who tried to play it tactical if at the least. I wrapped my arms around Abren's waist as the horse reared into a half circle and sprinted through a gap in the circle back the way they had originally come from. We took the lead and whatever was left of the force had caught up and reformed on us._

 _I looked past Abren's shoulder and saw the castle looming in the distance, casted in the shadow of the clouds, until lighting struck nearby, and then showered in a quick blast of light. Much further down the road, the noticeable opening of a gate was etched in the light of lit braziers._

" _So captain, what's on today's agenda, I was hoping for maybe a stroll along the docks or a nice walk in the woods?!" That was me, in the face of a disaster trying to crack jokes._

" _I would say a sunset sail along the coast would do just right about now!" I never was sure if it was just my imagination creating people who fit my taste or if people really just thought like me, nevertheless, at least I wasn't the only one who could joke at such times._

 _We finally made it to the gate, once inside it shut behind us, archers and wizards mounted the walls, detachments of spear and swordsman ran along the inside of the walls heading to other gates to probably reinforce other areas, and finally tents and weapons depots stood erect all across the open area of the gate's inner walls. Abren steered the horse towards the direction of the largest tent and set us at a slow trot, the rest of the group headed towards a makeshift stables._

" _So what brings you back to the kingdom at such a time?" Abren's face, except for his eyes, was completely obscured by his helmet but he made the slightest turn to look at me._

 _Whatever I had been doing prior to arriving in the city had smashed into my head like the pommel of a sword. I had left the city with a small detachment of cavalry to investigate rumors of an army massing on the border. I had commanded the honor guard to stay and had Abren run the city while I was gone. From there we'd only made it a day away from the city till we were ambushed at a crossroads. I had fled back to the city while the calvary held them at bay, but that's all that came back._

" _I was on my way back to warn the city they were coming but it looks like they beat me here."_

" _I see, after we're done here we'll have to send out a party to go and find the calvary. We do however have a problem, whether you saw it or not, these barbarians outnumber us by at least four to one. So far we've been able to cut them down to about half of that, but not without loses to our own. Not to mention we lost both the third and secondary walls and we're now down to defending the last wall here."_

" _By the gods, how did they manage to get past any of the gates?'_

" _It's to my understanding they had suppressed the guards on the first wall and proceeded to use grappling hooks to scale the wall before opening it for the main force. We lost the second wall when they were able to zone in their siege equipment on a section of the wall, to which it eventually collapsed. Which now leaves us here, we should be able to hold here now that we're able to keep the wall fully garrisoned and their siege equipment hasn't been able to hit."_

" _So we just have to hold out till they leave the city since we don't have the numbers to push them back."_

" _Already a step ahead of you, and that plan won't work. What civilians that weren't able to evacuate out of the city were routed here. Food storages were meant to sustain just the army in the event we got forced back here, and not for long, for at least a week. We have at least a thousand or more civilians here , and that's cut us down to four days even with putting in place stricter rationing. And to add to our troubles there's still the supplies that lay outside the wall, they have access to an entire city to keep them sustained."_

" _So, based on what your saying, we have absolutely no chance at surviving this siege?"_

" _No, we can win this if we just resort to drastic measures."_

" _Like what?"_

" _I'll tell you when we get there."_

 _Never would I have thought, in my eight years of rule, my kingdom would fall. We had been the superpower of the continent, we had the greatest army, richest cities, and the most prosperous lands. Neighboring kingdoms feared to anger me, always sending gifts or marriage proposals to keep me pleased. Although those proposals did the opposite because I knew they sent them with motive to also take the crown from me._

" _It almost seems that the times end are upon us my lady, missing people, strange shadows in the woods, and now barbarians laying siege to the city. Next thing you know we'll be swarmed with rabid bunnies with a taste for blood!" His little outburst recieved my own little chuckle but nothing to loud or annoying. But his statement of the end times didn't go unfounded._

 _It wasn't till my second year of ruling till I had heard of the cities endtime prophecy. Some farmers had stopped paying their tributes so guards had been sent to inquire why they'd stopped paying, that's when we'd found them to have disappeared. Word got around of their disappearance and eventually we had people screaming the end times were coming. That led to me asking what the end times were and then a trip out to the mountains that bordered the east. Then some hiking through said mountains led to a cave with some ancient ruins._

 _The ruins were practically the same from the dwemer ruins back in Markarth, only differences being there wasn't any metal constructs like the dwemer used and the people referred to them as the 'Ancient Ones' and not the dwemer. The "Ancient Ones" had left a wall that had depicted the end of their civilization, yet another rip from reality with a twist. The scenes on the wall were the same as Abren had described them. The end result of our trip had done little to stop the paranoia that arose of the situation and only gave me a slight incite into the history of the land._

" _Indeed, I wouldn't be surprised if we one day find ourselves in such circumstances, we can only hope the gods will have mercy upon us." By now we had already dismounted Abren's mount and we were standing just outside of what I assumed was our command tent, the incomprehensible shouting of men barely making it out the tent and over the sounds of other actions happening in the campsite._

" _Not saying we should ask the gods for mercy but you might have to ask the generals for some." He pushed aside the flaps of the entrance and we stepped in._

" _If I have to say it again, Holgolt, I will personally choke you till you soil your pants! We need reinforcements on the western gate or those damn tribals will breach the wall!"_

" _No they won't, you already have the rangers regiment and the college mages at your disposal, not to mention the fact that you also have three trebuchets at your will. All the other gates have barely anything in the way of troops, if the enemy even bothers pressing troops into the other gates, they will fall and we'll have to retreat to the citadel and I personally don't like the idea of giving those beasts anymore ground then they already have!"_

 _In front of us stood a decently long table big enough for a dozen or so people but was only occupied by three, the generals. To the left, Holgot, a wary old nord with salt and pepper hair bred from some of the harshest battles our lands had seen, from what he said himself on many previous accounts. To the right, Strazin, a young argonian with red and orange scales, no older than myself by ten or so cycles, the newest general to the collection but not fresh to the concept of war. Then right in the middle, Borander, a lone wanderer, with piercing green eyes._

 _When he first arrived, decked in dwarven/ancient one armor, claiming his village was destroyed and he had fled from the neighboring province to seek sanctuary in my lands. A high elf, he claimed to be, but his skin was of a light tone compared to the darker and generally tanner skin of the high elves that populated the southern coasts of the province, I had my own theory that he might have been of dwemer decent if not dwemer himself._

" _Ah, looks like our princess has decided to bless us with her presence this fine afternoon." Both Strazin and Hoglot shut up as Borander pressed off the table they surrounded, a slight shifting of paper followed his hands. However he managed to notice my silent entrance was beyond me._

" _Well I'd say I had no choice, the whole damn kingdom is on fire and I didn't have a say in the matter." I approached the table and found myself leaning over it trying to make sense of the maps. I wasn't trained in the whole strategy of troop command and managing armies but I still could tell what the symbols for regiments and troop movement meant. So far it looked like we were good shape, at least four legions held each gate with the exception of the eastern gate that had the rangers mark, some groups of archers were station with each legion and smaller symbols showed mages and splinter groups of the honor guard reinforcing those troops. Then finally, stationed on the citadel walls, a group of trebuchets were marked for support, all and all we probably could still do with a few more thousand men or so._

" _At least the men get to see their queen at the frontline with them." Strazin looked behind me and jogged to the entrance. I looked back to spot a runner in leather armor visibly panting as he extended a scroll to Strazin. Strazin thanked the man and began walking back to the table, undoing the twine of the scroll as he walked._

" _Strange, it appears all gates are clear, and scouts are reporting the barbarians are in full retreat. That doesn't really seem like their style but I'll gladly take the victory on this one." He threw the scroll onto the table for all to see, and indeed the report summarized the enemy to be in full retreat._

 _Nothing was right about that report. Why would they siege the city and then retreat after breaking through all but the last wall? What had they come for, gold, food, materials, to come this far and not finish the job was very...off setting. Especially if they had warriors like that women I dueled, warriors that could easily disperse magic and dodge years worth of martial training, she could easily wipe out groups of soldiers. Maybe not the more experienced soldiers but easily the weak ones. Or maybe it was that simple, they'd just come for the easy pickings and left like the vultures they were._

" _Looks like you boys faired well enough without me, but I fear my stay was only momentary, I must return to running the country before it gets out of hand. Do make sure to start fixing the city, I don't believe we'll want citizens camping out in the castle for winter, I will be back within a hour or so to see how things come along." I turned towards the entrance, Abren turning right along with me._

" _At least make some time for a quick speech, it would quite nice to get a victory speech in before you leave." Borander tried coaxing me to accept._

" _Nope, there's a reason you guys are my figure heads, I'm just too damn busy." I pushed through the tent flaps and into what was now a bright and sunny afternoon, but the camp had not changed one bit and some houses were still partly crumpled and burnt._

 _If this day changed anymore I was going to have a mental breakdown, I wasn't even sure if it was the same day._

" _Back to the castle then mylady?" Abren followed right on my tail as we approached his horse. Strange that he wasn't asking the same question that I was, how the fuck did we just go from lighting and thunder a few minutes ago to bright as fuck, clear skies, guess this was just so normal to him._

" _Yeh, hopefully I'll be able to return to 'business' from there." I let Abren pass me and jump up onto the mount, he lended me a hand, and I followed him up, on, and away. We sped through the streets, first they were crowded with soldiers, then nothing, and then scattered groups of civilians. As we rode, some groups looked towards us, some gasping and cheering for their queen, but I didn't feel like that queen. Some had made sure to enforce that feeling in me with the occasional scrunched face or dreadful stares._

 _After passing through the gatehouse of the citadel we made it into the castle's courtyard. A wide , open, ground of cobblestone flanked by strips of grass with protruding white birches and finished with a water fountain in the shape of the daedric prince Nocturnal, water flowing out of 'her' uplifted hands. Maybe it was a bit strange to have a almost naked statue of a woman be the first thing to greet my guests, but nothing else seemed to fit._

 _We dismounted at the steps of the great entrance, a giant oat door that reached forty feet up and met at a peak in the center, and twenty feet across. Whirls and swirls were etched into the door to create intricate designs of animals that roamed a glade, although you'd barely guess it to be that since if you weren't told what it was then it'd just look like whirls and swirls. I pushed them open, still amazed at how light the doors were for their true size._

 _The doors opened to the familiar sight of my home away from home, an almost identical version of the jarl of whiterun's castle but with my own changes to some parts._

 _Father had taken me on multiple trips to neighboring holds such as whiterun, I still didn't understand why he considered them neighbors when we were separated both by mountains and either days, weeks, or even a months travel away, so I had a lot of different ideas for how I wanted my own little castle to look like._

 _I ascended the first flight of stairs and was met with my own rendition of the dining area. Instead of two tables flanking the throne, I had four tables in the form of a square with a fire pit in the middle, and a chair at the 'head' of the table closests to the throne that resembled a more toned down version of my actual throne. Everything was made from a dark and rich form of spruce that almost seemed to shine depending how you looked at it, but only my throne was not made of the spruce. My throne was made of a smooth marble stone pattern of sky blue, fire red, and white swirls, however that was supposed to realistically work I had no clue, only my imagination could create such beauty. The seat and arms were cushioned with the hindes of bears ,which made for a pretty good butt scratcher believe it or not, so I at least didn't have use my own hand when it got a bit scratchy._

" _Strange that they never targeted the castle, they could've moved their siege crafts into the city and just bombarded it." Abren walked up behind me as continued looking around the hall._

" _Where's all the servants?" Usually the castle would be flooded with servants and guards almost making the hallways, the size of two carts side by side, seem like the streets of the city during rush hours._

" _Well when the attack began most found their way to me and asked to leave for their families so I granted nonetheless, unless you think I shouldn't have?"_

" _No, you did right, I'd want to be with my family in what would possibly be my last moments, if I was in the same situation." I came back around to the throne and turned around to face Abren, he had his helmet off and his face open to my sight. His light brown hair cut short, but still long enough to cast the slightest shadow over his eyes. Dirt colored eyes, a nice golden tan, and a stone chiseled body, dare I say, accompanied the rest of him, but that was under all that shiney armor._

" _So what are your plans now that the invasion has been repelled?" He asked_

" _Have you heard anything I've said? I need to get back to running the kingdom. Maybe go and take a trip to the other cities and the surrounding towns. I'll have to make sure we didn't lose everything." My head started to feel like someone was trying to squash it, I unlatched the straps on my helmet and set it on the table beside the throne._

" _Fine, but keep up disappearing and people might think their queen is deserting them."_

" _It's been this way for years now, I come and I go, it's like day and night, I'm here during the day and gone during the night, I don't see how it could really be all that different now then it'd been before."_

" _Well we didn't have an invasion, disappearing patrols, famines amongst the harvest, bandit activity, and many other hardships, till now. I can only expect a possible rebellion in due time if the queen doesn't attend to her empire."_

" _Five cities, forty-six towns, and hundreds of farms, I find it hard to see a revolt from the peasants successful." I sat down in my throne and massaged my temples, it felt like hammers beating me back and forth._

" _It's not gonna just be the peasants that revolt." Abren raised his voice._

" _So there's already a revolt in the army then?" I summoned a bit of fire into my right hand and played around with it, so I was losing control, I could always burn them to death. If they wanted to attempt a revolt against me, it wouldn't take that many people to be honest, but I wouldn't go down without at least taking a few with me._

" _There's words but nothing suggesting iminent revolt or insurrection." Abren cringed at his own words, if he gave me names I'd have put a stop to this possible 'revolt', but he probably knew that._

" _We'll have to just wait and see then, if one does come, we'll fight it together than, I assume?" What if he was the one spreading words of revolt? What if all of my court was planning against me? If anything it was probably my mind that was betraying me, after all, it did control most, if not all, interactions and encounters in this realm. Nonetheless it was using its influence to overthrow me from the kingdom it had gifted me all that time ago._

" _Ok then...I'm going to go back to the barracks...I'll see you soon my lady." With that he turned on his heel and headed back to the main entrance, anger in each echoing step. Bastard, one minute he's my trusted captain of the honor guard and the next he's acting against me. Did I have evidence he was spreading the words of revolution? No, he was able to keep whatever he might of been saying a secret and none would testify against him. Maybe I was just going crazy and he wasn't spreading revolution, just denying to point out who was._

 _When he finally stepped out, I slid into my throne letting myself drop the whole queen act. It was a pain to keep that shit up one moment and drop it the next. Being a queen wasn't something I wanted to grow into, maybe my mind thought that's what I wanted, but I guess my mind didn't chat with my heart all that often. The thought of having to lead anyone just made me sick in the gut, if anyone got killed or hurt due to my own orders, the blame was my own. I had no problem asking people for favours or assistance, but making them go out of their way to perform a task they didn't want to was a guilt trip all on its own._

 _I wanted to be just like other girls my age who didn't have to deal with court affairs or diplomatic relations, but I wouldn't drop the fighting or magic classes for anything. I wanted to grow up, get married, settle down, have children, maybe an adventure here and there, and then die old, may it be bland or just cliche, that was what I wanted my life to be like. I was born a princess though, if anything father was going to sell me off to one of the jarl's sons and I would live a life worse than what it was like now, but I'm not saying my life was bad as of now, there just wasn't enough adventure in it._

 _I threw my head back against the marble throne, my head pounding so damn hard, raising a hand of healing magic to it, but that only slightly turned down the pain. That only lasted seconds as the magic cut out, whatever I had left wasn't enough. I just rolled my head along the furs behind my head, slightly moaning in pain as I tried to moan it away._

" _Mmhh, sounds like you're having a good time." I snapped my head up towards the ceiling and opened my eyes. Sitting just a few feet above me on the the rising back on the marble throne, the woman from the earlier fight was staring right down at me._

" _How did you even manage to get in here, there's an entire army around this place, how did you even get pass me, I can see the entire room!?" I shot my hand down to my scabbred only to grab thin air where my sword should have been._

" _Well scaling the walls wasn't to hard and that army of yours was too stupid to bother checking who was who. As for you not seeing me enter here is because I dropped from the balcony and onto this here chair of yours. Dare I say this is quite the chair, red and blue marble, never seen anything like it."_

" _Thanks for the compliment, but how about you knock next time instead of, quite literally, dropping in?"_

" _Nah, it's cooler this way, besides, you know you like it this way as much as I do." She pushed off the top of the throne and landed both legs on the arms of it, needless to say I was still looking up and my head was now mere inches from her crotch, nice. She walked off the arms and fell the two or three feet, she turned back around to me, hands on her hips._

" _So quick run down for why I'm here and not outside the city, maybe you can't tell, but shits going down in the real world and we need to wake you up now." She slid a dagger out of a holster on her chest rig._

 _Wow, my mind was taking matters into its own hands and was literally going to kill me, what a great day!_

" _I take it that's what the headache are all about, I'd really not prefer to be stabbed to death, it's not really the best thing to wake up to!" I backed into the chair and stepped up onto it._

 _She followed me right up,"Well your not getting a choice in this because it's just that damn important." Using the momentum from her step-up onto the chair, she rammed the dagger straight through my armor and into my chest._

" _FFFFFFF!" I gasped out air, I started to cry as the pain resonated through my body. She had quite literally stabbed me through the heart and I could feel every cold inch of the blade. My heart's usual beating, dead, the feeling of my blood both leaking out and stilling in my veins followed. I slumped into the woman, she grabbed me under the arms and set me down into the throne, dagger still in my chest. My vision already turning black around the edges, almost like I was falling asleep._

" _I only wish it wasn't this painful, but like I said, it's too important to wait." She stepped back from the throne and just watched as I slipped away._

 _The door to the great hall flung open, followed by what I could only make out to be the honor guard. They came charging towards the throne, but everything seemed to slow, it would take forever for them to reach me. At the same time, my 'pet' came back towards me, arms outstretched, but moving at the same pace as the guard. Maybe time slowed when you were about to die? I guess a comparison to sleeping was a far shot when you had a dagger in the heart._

 _My vision had finally tunneled, there was only the slightest bit of sight in my eyes, but before it went completely out, I was greeted by the last scene I'd get before death. The honor guard where now what seemed like miles away and almost impossible to see. The woman was clearly closer, her arm stretched beyond imagination and yet only an inch above my own and descending. Finally, my vision cut, but my feelings did not, I could only feel the presence of a warm hand on my own before I truely blacked out._

"BITCH!" I shot up, instantly being pushed right back down by a giant pair of hands.

"Ah, so you aren't dead, that's good to know, I do however recommend you stay down. Move to much and you'll ruin Xaria's work." Everything was so hazy as my eyes began to adjust, both figure's faces, who I assumed to be Xaria and Father, looked like smashed colors with no texture. The big black blob being Xaria and the mix of everything being Father.

"What happened?" I asked, I may have known what was happening in my head but I was still oblivious to what happened after everything in my head started.

"My guess is that you fainted, but your father believes you partied to hard." Xaria pulled her hands away and into her lap.

"I don't see how I could have 'partied hard' when I didn't even get a good mug of ale?" That was true, not one pint of ale had been served at the party, but there was wine of which I got none.

"You don't need to have hard drink to have a good time," he turned towards the entrance and started to walk out," your mother proved that to me a long time ago." He didn't even bother masking the anger in his voice as he went as far as to even slam the door on his way out.

"Father!" I went to sit up, but this time Xaria was the one to push me down. Could the man not let his emotions get the best of him!

"Leave it, you won't even be able to get out of the bed without breaking a bone or two."

"How did I even manage that!" I decided to heed her warning and stay laying on the bed.

"Even I have troubles understanding how you broke your ribs, yes you did fall chest first, but you only had light bruising. It was like your ribs cracked on their own accord whilst you were unconscious, but either way they're still somewhat broken ribs. I may not be the resident healer but I'd keep from both moving around and bending over, both will probably snap the bone again if you try. Otherwise I'll come every so often and check in on you, bring you some lixers, and provide you with some company if no one else bothers coming to talk to you. You'll probably only be stuck here till tomorrow when the healers able to help you."

"Funny how this was supposed to be the best birthday yet, but it just turned into a shit show in the end." I chuckled, and began to cry, wiping away the tears as they came.

"I also find myself wishing for you to have a normal birthday, one that your old father would have actually enjoyed." She grabbed my hand and slowly caressed the top of it, being the ever caring mother she was.

"What do you mean 'old father'?" I sniffed through the congestion in my nose, the only father I'd ever known was the old jest of a jarl that joked with everyone and got pissed when he was reminded of his wife.

"Don't tell me you actually think your father became jarl by being the way he is now?" She had a serious look plastered on her face in the shine of the candle light.

"I always thought father was the man who disproved that being a smartass got you nowhere?" Xaria chuckled at my light of humor, or maybe it was because I called my father a smartass, either way she seemed to enjoy it.

"Even before your mother passed he was a smartass, so yes, your father does disprove the saying, but he did inherit the title from his father so it's hard to say he really disproves it when he already had a guaranteed chance to become jarl. Needless to say, your father had been a very different man before you were born, he's more or so a shell of what he used to be, plastered in a facade of what he thinks being both a father and jarl are supposed to be. Oh how your mother would gasp at the sight of her husband if she saw him now."

After that, I didn't really have anymore questions, would asking anymore really do me any good. I'd bet I'd only find everything I'd already known, it wasn't liked I hadn't asked about mother before. I could remember the countless tales father spun of her incomparable beauty and her caring nature, and even a few stories of their own mischievous actions as teens. He made sure to brand the image of her, that he knew and remembered, into my mind so that I might imagine the mother I never had. I'd probably just get more tales of their own little adventures that Xaria actually came on, if I asked.

We sat in silence, her hand stroking the top of my left hand and my right hand stroking my tail. I didn't ask her to go and she didn't leave, she sat in the chair next to me and just stared into oblivion. Just looking at her face made me think she actually was looking into oblivion, her face was a mix of cringes and twitches, she must have been thinking so hard that her emotions were quite literally showing on her face.

A slight knocking sound came from the door, at first it was genuinely quite, not even Xaria heard it considering she was still frozen in place. Second time in sounded like a mallet was being beat against the door, this time Xaria snapped her head to the left and stared straight at the door.

"ROOM SERVICE!" A male voice screeched, like a hawk that just took an arrow through the wing, from the otherside of the door. Instantly the door was kicked inwards and in came Zarcath, still wearing his helmet, and Shanna, now with a sling around her arm.

"You know we have to get the doors replaced every time you do that!? Next time I hear you kicking in doors I'm going to turn you into one and kick you right in the knob, see how you like it!" Xaria shouted at him, as soon as Zarcath had made his presence known she had shot up and out of her chair, now she dispelled whatever magic she had been ready to cast, opting to walk up to him, without a break in stride, punching him straight in the gut.

"I'm sorry!" He wheezed as he bent over from the impact and began to cough like a dying man.

"You gods damn better be otherwise you'll be lying on the floor crying next time this happens!" Xaria took the time to brush some imaginary dust of her knuckles or whatever she thought she was blowing off.

"Well, I've got to go take care of some work before I go to sleep so I'll see you tomorrow actually." She went to walk out but stopped to look at the door. She put her hand against it, a clear indent, and from where I was watching, a broken lock accompanied it. "How is your foot not shattered!?" She threw up her arms and stormed out for good this time.

"I was wondering the same," Shanna stepped in from her spot at the door's frame," it's not like you got a ram for a foot."

"Oh, no, something's broken alright, but I'm just gonna go to the healer in a bit." Shanna had already taken Xaria's chair next to the bed and Zarcath limped his way to the end of the bed to sit down.

"Why couldn't you just entered like anyone else, you didn't need to go kicking in the door. And how are you even up and about, you just broke your ribs!?" I reached over to the bedside table and shakily grabbed the mug and pitcher, Shanna attempting to help me lift the pitcher with her not so broken left arm.

"Maybe I was wanting to join the pity party so I broke my foot, or maybe I just wanted to make an entrance, doesn't really matter in my opinion. But my ribs are just sore now, that healer is the second best thing to a magician, check it." He responded, lifting up his shirt to reveal dark bruise marks along the left side of his chest. He dropped it after we got our looks at his slightly barren chest which was quite weird considering he was more khajiit than myself so he must of shaved his chest often.

After his little show he sat down on the bed and brought up his boot, beginning to untie the laces.

"NO, you keep that damn boot on, I don't want to see whatever horrid mess you have in there." Shanna raised her hand, ready to give Zarcath a strong backhand across the face.

"Come on, I need to see how fucked it is, I can't even feel my toes!" It was nice to see how fast they were able to go from zero to ten in an instant. However, I didn't want to spend the rest of the night listening to them going at it, I'd probably stay up for another hour or two before I attempted to sleep again.

"Guys, please stop, can't we just not, I've already had my birthday 'ruined' and I don't feel like having it ruined any further." Shanna stopped, but Zarcath went in for the last word before she punched him right on his bad leg. He grabbed the piece of the covers and shoved them in his mouth, screaming and moaning, in pain. As Zarcath's screams came to an end, we entered a state of pure silence between us, only the fireplace crackled and popped as it burnt away its wood. It was during this silence that I remembered I had been holding the pitcher and mug, I poured the mug half full and weakly set both back on the table, not even bothering to take a swig.

"How did this even happen?" Zarcath, sheets now out of his mouth, asked, staring at the floor, not even addressing it to either of us in particular. I honestly saw no reason in telling him the truth, it was a bit far fetched to say that, I was knocked out by a wolf and then woke up in my dream world. Only to then apparently fight said wolf while running through the middle of a siege battle till I was found and rescued and then to top it all off, assassinated. Heck, I didn't even know if Shanna had the same experience as myself, for all I knew Shanna could have just blacked out.

"Last thing I remember…" Shanna stopped herself, like she was rethinking the decision to even speak, but eventually continued. "We were messing around with the wolf, trying to give her a name, but that didn't really work out. Ash had gotten attacked by the quill wielding wolf, you should have seen her face!" She went from a somber tone and then burst out a little laugh, I never did get to see what the wolf had done to my face. "Sadly enough it looks like someone cleaned your face, but eventually Ash threatened the wolf and kinda gave this weird cringey face, kinda like this." She bared her teeth, pulled back her cheeks, and tightened her eyelids to leave a scary almost demonic looking face.

"Oh gods, please stop making that face, I swear it looked nothing like that." She reluctantly dropped the facade and reverted back to telling the event.

"I stood up, and all the sudden, I felt like someone took a chair and bashed it over my head. After that I woke up on the floor with a broken arm. Then I got up, pushed on you a little to try and get you up," She pointed at me," but you didn't wake up so I went and got some guards. That's pretty much all you missed."

"Wait, how long have I been out, because it sounds like its only been a few minutes!?" I swear it had to have been at least an hours time since I woke up but she made it out to have only been half of that.

"Well, I'm still trying to guess how long I was knocked out, but if your asking from when I woke up to you waking up, it's probably been less than half an hour. Zarcath, you should know how long, you were in the healer's room when I came in. How long were you in there till I showed up?"

"Oh gods, I was just waking up to my ribs cracking back into place when you stumbled in, and I myself had probably only been in there for a bit, I'd have to say five maybe fifteen or so minutes." No way I had only been out for half an hour, or maybe it was the changing of scenery in my dreams, but my mind said it had been a day or more.

"Yeah, and we just came from the healer's, so I'd put it at about that half an hour or maybe even an hour." Fucking hell, just thinking about what time it was wreaked havoc on my mind. I'd just have to go outside and fix that when I could actually move, only one of the many problems of living underground.

"I guess that makes sense why father thought we were drunk." Just thinking of how he probably walked up on me, passed out and broken, had me questioning, how much was I like my mother?

"He thought we were drunk, shit, there goes all the Shadow!?" Zarcath scooted up further onto the bed and laid completely flat on his back, still wearing the helmet. I wasn't bothered enough to kick him back, but he was right, dad was probably going to get rid of all of our mead!

"You're so pitiful you know, that's why I don't drink mead, you eventually get hooked." Shanna said with a chuckle.

"You know you can get hooked on just about anything?"

"I know but his life relies on that damn mead, if he doesn't get enough of it he'll probably drop dead."

"My life does not depend on whether or not I can get in a mug of good ale here and there. My life depends on whether or not I can be happy living." There's a truth to that, there's a reason people choose to kill themselves.

"Off topic, it hadn't quite hit me till now, but where's the wolf?" Zarcath laid still, but was tense in anticipation of one of us to answer him.

"That's a good question, probably killing some people and rampaging through the halls." Zarcath sat up, slightly limping in pain on his way to the door.

"I can't wait to have father bounding down on my ass for leaving the damn thing unwatched! Honestly it's your pet now but I know father, I'm going to be the one who gets blamed if that wolf does something! I'll be back later, I need to go kennel the fucker before she does something!" He went on like a Mage who lectured his acolyte for screwing up a spell, eventually though he grabbed the door and threw it open just as hard as he kicked it earlier.

There was something blocking his path however, something that he didn't notice till he bumped into it, Shanna and I, we saw it clear as day. To Zarcath and her, it probably meant nothing to them, to me, it was nightmare incarnate. A fully armored women, made apparent by her bousteress breasts that Zarcath would have got trapped in had the figure not worn armor, a sword at her hip, daggers sheathed across her body, a pure white tail between her legs, and a bronze mask, reflecting what light there was, of a wolf.


	4. Chapter 3: Say My Name

Chapter 3: Say My Name

(Loredas/12th of Last Seed/4E 201...10:49 p.m.)

"What the fuck?!" Zarcath looked like he was about to bolt out the door but instead he grabbed the side of the door and slammed it shut, bracing himself against it. "No gods damn way that was real, it was only a dream?!" His helmet started to dart around the room like he was trying to find an alternative way out.

I found myself somewhere between Shanna's confused stare and Zarcath's panicking jitteriness. There was no way she could have come out of the dream, she was just a wolf when it came to the real world.

"Who the hell was that?" Shanna stood up and walked over to door, Zarcath took his right foot and started kicking her back when she got close.

"We can't let it in, it'll kill us if gets the chance!" I went to try and stand up, but my ribs sent me right back down, well I was fucked if she got in. However, in my dream at least, she didn't ever hint to killing me in real life, what reason would she have anyways.

"Zarcath, who was that, why are they here to kill us!" Shanna kicked him in the shin when he tried to kick her back again, he retreated to a more defensive stance, but he still held the door. She clearly didn't see what was wrong with removing the only defense between us and a supposed killer but our deaths would be on her head if that women did intend to kill us.

"Ah, so that's your name," the muffled voice of the women on the other side of the door began," well than, come on and let me in _Zarcath_ , we can finish our little game if you just let me in." As if he wasn't disturbed enough already, Zarcath now had his claws out in an attempt to grip the door harder than before, don't know why he tried, the damn thing was made of metal!

"Oh my god, your such a pussy!" Shanna, without warning, lunged at Zarcath and threw him to the ground. He hadn't even gone down fighting, he just accepted she had beat him and quickly limped over to the bedside and picked up the chair like he was gonna break it over someone's head. Why do wooden chairs always make for a convenient weapon?

"If we fucking die tonight, I want you guys to know...that...that…" he began to just stutter on that one word, like some singer that had lost all recollection of the words in the verse.

"Honestly, I think we'd be dead by now if she really wanted to kill us. Anyways, she wasn't that rude in my dreams." I quietly mumbled to myself, I even bothered to reflect on her little advances she made earlier.

"Let's find out who the killer is!" Shanna sarcastically yelled as she turned towards Zarcath and flung open the door. Honestly, between the abuse of the doors in the keep and the constant shouting from our room we were held up in, I was surprised no one had come running to check in on us.

"Ah, thank you my little darling, I've been just dying to get in!" In came the ecstatic woman, dog, bitch, whatever her claim to existence was. She instantly grabbed ahold of Shanna and drew her into a tight hug, but I must have been wrong about that armor. Shanna had almost been assimilated into the woman's breasts the sounds of her panic at the sudden assault muffled by the fabric and depth at which she was stuck. Finally she took notice of me and Zarcath, after taking a quick browse of the room, of course.

"Honey please put the chair down before you hurt yourself, I can't have you hurt when we start playing again." She flashed her teeth at him, two distinct canine teeth only exaggerating her deathly smile.

"I'll put the chair down when your rotting away in oblivion." He almost seemed to calm as he lowered the chair from above his head and now kept it out in front of him like a sword.

"You know you can't do that, you'll offset the whole mood of this place. I'll also need somewhere to sit, if you want I'll even let you sit on my lap or I can sit on yours." This was going down hill as fast as any conversation could, she even made it more awkward by taking the trapped Shanna and grinding against her leg.

"By the gods, please stop, I can't take it. Just let Shanna go so we can get on with life." I made sure to emphasize my distaste of the moment with a dramatic cover of my eyes. She let go of Shanna, and strode over to the left side of the bed and sat just midway of the bed's length. Shanna was coughing up a maelstrom, disgusting, dry, and almost over exaggerated breaths.

"Come on girls, you going soft on me already, I had so much planned for the time to come! We were going to go for runs through the forest, maybe some hunts while we're at it, and do some frolicking in the tall grasses if you catch my drift." As she talked her tail seemed to speed up, her own plans clearly exciting her.

"Who the fuck do you think you are lady!?" Shanna finished her last bit of coughing, closing the door before she came back to now take up a spot on the bed since Zarcath still found her chair to be his only defense against the woman across the bed from him.

"Really, no guesses, let's see if this'll help you remember." She leaned over the bed and grabbed Shanna's hand, tilting up her mask just to the point where her top lip was the highest point of her visible skin, Shanna didn't even bother jerking back, inserting Shanna's middle and index fingers into her mouth. Now, I wasn't the smartest kid in the class, ironic considering I was the only kid in said class or classes, but the words that the woman told me in my dream, "I'm your pet.", hadn't actually struck me till now. The sight of this woman/dog thingy sucking on Shanna's fingers and her tail swishing back and forth, and the fact she wore a mask of a wolf, finally connected the dots in my head, she was the dire wolf.

"How are you even human?" I didn't even mean to say anything, but I unconsciously let them slip.

"Ah," she said, the sound coming out slightly sloppy and wet ", this is good enough yeah?" She tilted her head up to Shanna.

"Um...yeah." She slowly pulled off of Shanna's fingers, a thin trail of saliva trailing between the two. She took one of her fingers and broke the line, slurping up the rest that connected with her finger.

Needless to say we were all a bit disturbed, Zarcath made fake hurling noises, or maybe they were real, Shanna sat in place like a statue, and I was disturbed by the fact that I was actually getting turned on. Then, as if just thinking about it caught her attention, the woman inclined her head and lifted the mask even higher than before, now her nose and cheeks were visible, a few wisps of white hair coming out from under the mask. She took a few quick whiffs of the air, turning her head ever so slightly in my direction, then her face was turned right on me. "I thought we were going to do it later tonight, you seem like your ready now." She leaned towards me but went down with with her head, getting closer to my crotch.

"Ok, no, stop, later later later, no one wants to see this!" I pushed her back with what little movements I could make before being launched into pain.

"Have it your way, but you still owe me." She leaned back and sat back with her hands supporting her from falling flat on the bed. Shanna wasn't to happy about that exchange seeing as her eyes were wide open and her mouth slightly ajar.

"So, how's your guy's night going so far, me personally, mines been fantastic!" She shook herself left and right like she was going to explode in joy if she hadn't, the result was one of the most beautiful sites of my life, need it be in one of the more disturbing situations however, I did have a couple other memories to top this one.

"Lady, we still don't know your name, and we've, well maybe just me considering both Ash and Zarcath here seem to have a pretty good idea of who you are, never met you before." Shanna just looked at the woman like a guard looked at a skooma addict, with distrust and nervousness.

"Your fucking kidding me, I just sucked you off," maybe I was crazy or it was genuinely funny but she had me bust out laughing with her choice of words," and you still don't remember!" I got a couple more chuckles out before the pain of my lungs against my ribs kicked me in the chest like horse.

"I swear to Dibela, I have no idea of who you are." To me it was slightly understandable that she had no clue to who this woman was, after all, she probably didn't have a dream about the woman considering she gave no over exaggerated reaction like Zarcath when she saw the woman at the door only moments ago.

"Fine, then wolf form it is!" She stood up and went for the front door but stopped and searched the room again. "Is that a closet?" She pointed over to a door at the fireplace.

"Um...possibly, I've never been in this room before?" Maybe she considered my words or maybe she didn't, either way, she switched directions and approached the door, twisting the knob. Empty, and definitely a closet, in fact it was a pretty deep one considering it became pitch black after a few feet. She stepped in and closed the door behind herself, leaving us to ponder what her plans where.

"Anyone have any clue as to what she meant by wolf form?" Shanna, still deathly clueless as to what was happening, I myself had a decent idea, Zarcath probably knew all too well for he started fidgeting with his chair and gripping the sides, nails slightly penetrating the wood.

Yet, before either me or Zarcath could answer, sounds from the closet did our 'job' for us. Zarcath's bone breaking and joint dislocating from his spare with father had pretty much given us all a refresher course on what it sounded like when such things happened, and it seemed like that was what was exactly happening in the closet. The slow and painful popping noises led me to grab the pillow from under my head and bite it to help ease the disgusting and erie noises of the bones. Zarcath still held on to his chair, Shanna stared at the closet ready to bolt if some damn monster came popping out.

After a cruel and disturbing minute of popping, the door popped open and stayed slightly ajar. Even I was feeling my heart trying to beat out of my chest as we waited fo it to completely open. A black muzzle came creeping out through the ajared door, then white fur followed till the head of the creature appeared, maybe to Shanna's surprise, it was the dire wolf.

"How in oblivion is that," she pointed at the wolf,"even possible, can't be a wolf because she was just a human a second ago and she can't be a human because that's a wolf!" She huffed and puffed abit as she started to breath harder and faster. I myself didn't even know such things were possible, a wolf that could shapeshift to a human, infiltrate dreams, and use telepathy, best thought I had was this was some of Hircine's blessings at their finest, or maybe she was some sort of illusionist of great power?

The wolf woman, or maybe girl, wolf girl sounded better though, came out of the closet and gave a quick prance around the room, clearly trying to imitate that of a noble horse with their high and defined leg lifts that she had done earlier. Zarcath almost lost his shit, yet again, tensing up at every bounce and hop of the wolf girl. Shanna had finally stopped breathing as hard as a Horker, almost looked to accept the fact that a woman had just turned into a wolf, but she kept a awareness that offset any trust that she must have had for the wolf prior to knowing she was a person.

Finally, after her roundabout, she slipped right back into the closet and it began all over again, The popping and cracking had me biting my pillow yet again, but not as hard as the first time. It was over quickly, the door, still slightly ajar, flung open to reveal the woman panting lightly and holding her sides.

Strangely enough, she no longer wore her armor and weapons from earlier, now she wore a scandalously, lace tunic without sleeves and cut just inches above her stomach. A set of very baggy and loose fitting cloth pants swished with her as she made towards me and Shanna. One thing that hadn't changed was she still wore her mask, if I were her I would've chucked the thing off ages ago.

She came around the bed and slowly laid down next to me, but she didn't get under the covers, I moved over anyway, whether it was because I was being curtiuse or I generally didn't want this woman to touch me, I didn't bother choosing.

"I feel like someone took a hammer and beat all of my bones to a pulp." She moaned.

"Sounded worse than your description, but all the same." I couldn't help but poke her in her time of pain, she laugh moaned at the touch, scooching what little ways away from me she could without falling off the edge.

"Maybe it's just...a dream...yeah...that sounds about right?" I looked at Zarcath, he'd relaxed his grip on the chair and now stood up, limping towards the door. He seemed pretty calm as he reached the door, pulling it open and stepping out into the hall, but when I saw his eyes I could tell he was a bit off. They seemed much more glossy, much more reflective off the light, a mindless stare into nothingness as he quietly shut the door behind himself.

"What did you do to him?" Shanna shifted her body away from the door and to the two of us lying on the bed.

"Ugh, so you know how you dreams when you sleep?"

"Of course."

"Well if I can get close to someone while they sleep then I'm able to slip into their dreams." Ah, yeah, that would explain earlier.

"Now, I would say that your lying to me but after the whole transformation thing I'll say that I'm not surprised."

"Ah, yes, my plan is coming together. You're starting to overestimate my power; soon you will both bow before me and become my followers!" She said triumphantly whilst rubbing her hands together, this girl had serious problems.

"Honestly though, I used my little power to sneak into his mind and see if I could find out where we'd be going. It took me awhile, but I eventually found him hanging out in a shack with some girls. Guess he didn't have a good sense of decency because the windows were open and the disgusting little fuck had turned the inside into his own little house of whores; I will admit he had some nice looking girls though. But, I decided to ruin his fun by opening up the door and asking if he could use another. Skip a few minutes of screaming, and I'd herded him out of the house and was chasing his bare ass through the woods; guess he's still scared." At least she spared us the details. Oh shit, unless she can still hear me thought!

"Wow, Zarcath just can't catch a break can he." Shanna laughed to herself.

"Why, is he the troublemaker of your little group?" Maybe she couldn't hear my thoughts outside of my dream; at least I was safe here.

"Yeah, something like that."

"Maybe I'll have to give him another visit tomorrow, make him rethink his ways." Wolf girl smirked to herself.

"Maybe, but I think I'ma go turn in for the night, today's been pretty intense even for me." What the fuck, was she gonna ditch me with the wolf bitch!?

"Ok, hop on then, I'm ready to hit the hay as well." Wolf girl patted the small space between us. Looking at Shanna, it wouldn't be that hard to fit her in the middle but it'd still be tight.

"Awe, thanks for the invitation but I think I'll sleep in my own bed tonight." Shanna smiled nervously while she stepped back towards the door. Seriously, if she left me alone with her than I was sure to get rapped!

"Ookkk, your loss than, I guess that means more for me." What's that supposed to mean, I looked down at her to see her cheekily looking back at me.

"More what?" I wished Shanna wouldn't have asked because wolf girl curled up next to me and put her hand on my chest. Dragging it down the covers to my crotch before giving it a quick slap and retreating it back to herself.

"Could you not, seriously!?"I tried to slap her in the stomach but she pulled her arms and legs inward before I could make contact.

"Ok, nevermind, I think I'll stay for tonight!" Shanna fast walked over to wolf girl, grabbing her around the waist and dragging her off the bed. Quickly shuffling under the covers before wolf girl could get back into the bed.

"Yes, now the party starts, or at least when you guys go to sleep!" Wolf girl squealed as her head popped up over the side of the bed. The space on the bed really died when she got in and we'd been forced to press against Shanna to avoid rolling off the side of the bed.

"You try and do anything to us and I'll kill you on the spot." Shanna said angrily, wrapping her un-slinged hand in my right hand.

"Shanna my dear, you know you'll never be able to hurt me. I could have my way with both of you if I really wanted to." Her words had Shanna grabbing me even harder than before, felt like someone was rubbing leather against my bare skin. Wolf girl had decided it would be great to envelop all of us in my big hug. It was awkward, because I was on my back, Shanna was on her side but dangerously coming close to lying on my chest, and then Wolf girl was backed tight against Shanna, one leg stretching all the way over Shanna's and touching mine from the knee cap down, and one arm doing the same but only making it to my chest.

"Do you really have to sleep with us?" I asked

"Well of course, it's bonding time, and I want to talk to you guys some more." She was much more toned down but you could still hear the excitement in voice.

"Then why are we going to sleep?"

"If we do it in my dreams than we can all actually sleep here and talk there."

I waited for the moment the Wolf girl would start molesting Shanna and I but it never came, we laid in silence, the darkness becoming less of a monster, a childish thing to think, I know, and more of a fourth being that could not speak nor hear. Man, I wasn't the philosophical type, but if I kept up this kinda thought I might become one.

Shanna was definitely asleep, however she managed, because she was snoring to the heavens and back right into my ear. The Wolf girl, I was a bit iffy about, would every so often clench the covers of the bed and screw what little cover I had against the cold that had started to envelop the room since the fireplace went out.

All the while, there was the constant thoughts of what the fuck I was gonna do with a, what I had come to conclude, cursed shapeshifter since I was pretty sure if anyone else found out they'd want her head or they'd throw her in Cidhna mine, but I couldn't imagine the mine being able to hold her with the abilities she had.

A part of me said that she was a stranger, probably a child rapeist at that, and she had no place amongst us so I should tell father about her. The other part was more lenient, wait for her to start rapeing us, then tell father once it happened. Then there was that creepy third wheel part of me that said "life time sex toy right there!" I tried shrugging that feeling, needless to say, it only crept away, probably to return another time. But maybe there was a lot to gain from having a shapeshifter, after all, those abilities of hers would be nice to have on hand? Yet like the saying went, all good things came to an end, I wouldn't be surprised if this ended just like it would with the _Shadow_.

It took me however maybe a typical hour or two of more thinking before I had a rough sketched plan of how to handle our new 'friend'. First, play it off as if she was a wolf just like normal, normal for what the last couple hours had been, I think, easy? Second, get to know what she was and what that all meant, still easy. Third, supresses the horniess that she so oftenly flounted, probably impossible, scratch that, I mentally docked it from the list. Fourth, try to live out the rest of my life without somehow letting this woman fuck it up, yet again, probably impossible, oh god what a useless checklist. Wait, add five, find out her name, yeah that was better.

It had crossed my mind to get her thrown into the prison again, but how would I be able to expose her true form when Xaria never detected any magic off her and I couldn't force her to shapeshift.

It'd be interesting to see how fucked my life could get with this new addition to the 'family'. I was pretty sure it would overshadow in comparison to the effects of when Shanna and Zarcath had been brought in, but maybe it could just die out. The more I thought the drowsier I got, but it felt nice to wrap up this crazy ass birthday. I'd woken up to a disturbing dream, had a little accident before starting my birthday, had some laughs during said birthday, got some kick ass presents, that is if you could call a sex crazed wolf girl a kick ass present, watched a fight, got killed in an epic dream siege, watched my dad's mind break just like every other birthday, and was now about to go to sleep in a bed with my best friend and a wolf girl. I chuckled lightly at the thoughts, I must have been the only person in the world to ever deal with shit like this…...

 _I awoke to the sound of birds chirping and an ever so slight breeze working its way into my ear. I kept my eyes shut and rolled to my right, bad idea. I went shooting over the edge of my bed and right onto the floor, pain shot throughout my chest and I tried balling up to stop it. I laid on the floor moaning, pretty sure somebody would have heard me by now, but I received no help, where in oblivion was my handmaid! I threw the blanket off and placed my hands behind myself on the...dirt floor!? I cracked my eyes open, "What the…", I trailed as my eyes adjusted to what was probably morning light seeing as the light had creeped all the way to 'my' bed._

 _It looked like I was in a gods damned tent or something, a circular room with a pointed ceiling, even came with a small cot of animal skins, that I just fell off, and a bedside table that was more so a folding chair from the looks of it._

 _I pushed off the dirt floor and sat back up on the animal skin cot, my hands lathered in a layer of dirt. I tried seeing out past the light only to be blinded by the sun that was directly pointed into the tent, I covered my eyes._

 _Whoever thought it was a good idea to throw me in a tent after being stabbed was gonna get a kick in the gut for their incompetence. I pulled the shirt away from my chest and looked down into the shirt. No scar, I drew my hand into the shirt and across the skin above my heart. I hissed a breath when I pushed down and was met with a numb pain that encompassed where I'd been previously stabbed. Ah, at least my skin wasn't scarred, not that it couldn't use a scar or two, I pulled my hand back out._

 _I took the time to look myself over, I was decked in a almost peasant like garb. I had simple brown pants held to my waist by a string of twine and a thick cloth shirt covering the rest, I never wore this kind of stuff in the my dreams, something wasn't right, I needed to get outside. I searched the small hut for any type of footwear, even a few scraps of cloth would have done fine, but with just a quick sweep of the room I found nothing. It'd been awhile since I'd gone barefoot but I didn't think my 'girls' would mind a smudge or two along their almost porcelaine like surfaces._

 _Standing up, I took cautious steps as I approached the entranceway, being blinded by the light pretty much negated my attempts at caution though._

" _Well...this isn't home?" I lowered my arm at the sight of the surrounding forest, tall trees amidst fall colors, bushes thick with leaves, birds of the lightest browns and darkest reds lined every couple branches, the sunlight streaking through both cracks in the leaves, and a whole trail that lead towards the sun. I looked around some more, a grindstone and tanning rack sat to the left and right of the tents entrance, turns out the whole thing was made of leathers and not a fabric light most, so primitive, and a splitting log off from the tent by a few paces, it's hatchet sunken into a tree. I took another gander at my surroundings, pure woods with the exception of the random ass trail leading into them, getting home was gonna be fun!_

 _I started down the worn trail, the feeling of the dirt between my toes was actually welcoming as I strode onwards, reminding me of when I was just a kid strolling through the woods, minus the squad of heavily armoured guards father had used to send with me, good times. It'd been quite some time since I'd actually been out in the woods in real life, not just in my dreams, last time had probably been a month or two ago when Shanna, Zarcath, a couple dozen of kids from the court and from the mine, and myself all played a game of war. Everyone always wanted me to be a general, annoying when I liked to fight on the frontlines, but I'd only take that spot when I was feeling like crap. Zarcath and Shanna always played as my right and left hands, either helping the troops hold the line or sieging the small castles we built during the winter, they were always there._

 _There were events that had me thinking of how unbearable they could have been without them, especially the Dibella ceremonies, oh gods how I'd rather crawl my way through a crab infested bog than sit and watch the court 'mingle'. It truly was like if we had all grown up like siblings, fighting ourselves one minute and helping each other from a greater threat the next._

" _...and that's pretty much my story. Any more questions?" What the heck._

" _What the heck?" I was right in front of a wooden door, no longer on the dirt path I had started not a minute ago. This never happened before, walking somewhere one second and unnoticeably thrown somewhere else the next. I turned around, time to see where the fuck I was now. Nearly shit myself in doing so, dozens of men, draped in fur skins and salvaged armor, scattered amongst what looked like some open dirt courtyard. We were still in the forest, but now in a big ass clearing, one and two story houses laid in a circle around the open yard._

 _I stared at them, they stared at me, so this was probably gonna be the end of me._

 _If I had to fight I only had my magic to spar against their baskets and pots? Some of them held baskets with what looked like apples and others filled to the brim with strains of wheat, only one guy held a pot and it looked like it had some sort of stew._

 _None of them had weapons, and none of them seemed alarmed enough to going running for some. They must have kidnapped me then, but why they'd kidnapped a dead body? Did they breach the walls or had wolf girl snuck them in? Wait, no, I couldn't have been dead if I'm here now? Unless, had they used necromancy to bring me back to life!? Was I to live the rest of this life as a mindless thrall to barbarians!?_

 _I started panicking at the thoughts of why I might actually be here and whether or not I was still alive, my hands started to shake like that of old person. I pressed my back against the door and tried blind eyeing my hand to wherever the door knob was, or whatever the damn door had. Must have made me look even dumber looking than before, because all the men started to laugh at my jitteriness._

 _It must have been the overwhelming presences of the men but I began to take notice that there had also been women and children amongst the crowd, they to had found joy in my panic._

 _I only slightly calmed at the sight that none of them had come rushing to kill me, but it all came back worse than before when the door I had so dearly clung to had opened behind me. I was instantly dragged into the room screaming, watching as the door slammed shut. I went tumbling through the room till I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist, catching me about half way from a makeout session with a stone floor._

" _ASH, SHUT UP!" I shut up, quickly getting my bearings and dashing out of the arms of whoever caught me. My scream died as I turned to see who told me to shut up, had I actually bothered listening to the voice I would have known who it was. Right in the middle of the room, between a fireplace and the front door, stood an anxious Shanna, wearing the same exact clothes as me, and maybe spiked with a bit of anger judging by the way her eyebrows were positioned. I felt a wave of guilt flow over my body, even my muscles felt lax, it forced a a nervous giggle out of my mouth._

" _Well look who came to finally join the party, what took you so long, it's been hours!?" I looked past Shanna to find our furry friend, in her human form, swaggering over just like before. This time she'd bothered to take off her mask, it was like seeing her for the first time all over again. I was left with that awe feeling_

" _I couldn't really sleep since I had to make sure I wasn't gonna get a knife in the back while I slept." I was kind of genuine in my statement, I still didn't know if this girl wanted to kill me, but her actions left me in limbo on her intent._

" _You know, Shanna and I just had a lovely conversation about myself, how bout you ask her if I seem like the type to go around backstabbing people?" I flicked back to Shanna, so that's what they were talking about before I went and lost my head._

" _Yeah, no, she's definitely not the backstabby type, honestly she's something worse if you ask for my opinion." Like the animal she was, the wolf girl swept up behind Shanna and threw her arms around her chest, while also swishing her face into the crook of Shanna's neck. Shanna had gone just as rigid as she had in bed earlier when the girl had embraced her in bed._

" _Come on guys," she slowly moaned into Shanna's neck," why do you keep making me out to be the bad guy here. All I want to do is slide on down to the market with my two new favorite girls." She made her point of "sliding on down to the market" by brushing her fingers dangerously down from above Shanna's belly button down to just above her waist line. Shanna looked like she was ready to take her life, I almost laughed at her face, devoid of all emotions that weren't fear._

" _Could you just stop please, I've told you multiple times, nobody likes your flirtatiousness. Honestly, have you even bothered looking at Shanna, you make people, and by that I mean us, extremely uncomfortable." I'd kept it calm, but now I could feel my agitation coming up. "Just look at Zarcath, he quite literally had a mental breakdown right after you showed up! Have you even considered what you've done in the past day or however long it's been!" Wow, talk about a turn around, I could already feel the guilt coming as the last word left my mouth._

 _She let go of Shanna, taking a few steps away, and locked eyes with me._

" _Fine...maybe you're right, maybe I'm always to happy or to affectionate as of recent, but I've never been able to feel or even act this way." Her voice had taken a turn for the worse, quieter, more hitched, and just generally depressing. She had moved over to the fireplace, fixating her eyes on the flames of the fire, light accentuated her facial features as she stared on._

" _I've already told Shanna and now that your here I'll tell you. I've spent all sixteen years of my life," oh great, I triggered a monologue," alone and displaced, focused purely on trying to make it to the next day. My own parents, wherever they may be, left me abandoned at birth for all I know, I don't even think they loved me. For those sixteen years I never found joy, I never found love, I never found purpose. I stuck it out, night after night and day after day, alone in a cave or under a tree in some gods forsaken forest, I'd never had a friend to keep me company or to offer me help, just me, myself, and I." A few tears started to dot her face as she went on with her story._

" _I was just a street urchin in everyone's eyes."_

" _But you know what," she looked up from the fire to set her eyes on me," no more than a season ago, I had a dream. A dream where all of that would change, more so a vision now that it's happening. I saw that breeder that Zarcath had bought me from, I had seen the moment when he arrived to buy a wolf. I couldn't even make sense of it at the time, but I decided that if nobody would take me in as myself then I'd just have to play myself off as something I wasn't._

" _So I traveled, dusk till dawn, aimlessly through the woods till I'd come upon taverns and outposts, asking about any wolf breeders that might exist. Everyone I'd talked to either blew me off or said I'd have better luck finding a dragon. Yet, I managed, finding someone who knew of a breeder, hadn't proven to hard and I eventually had my course set. I travelled for a whole week till I arrived at the breeder's cabin in the woods, only a few hours walk from a town called Riverwood."_

" _By luck, or by fortune, the breeder hadn't been in the cabin when I entered, but I did have to sneak pass a rather rough looking wolf hanging around the man's stables. Still, it was a nice place, I'll give him that, two stories tall, a room dedicated to shelves full of books, an armory filled with some of the most exotic weapons and armor you've ever seen, and a kitchen fit for a king's cook, not as big as your own though, but the man had himself well made for what I took as a simple breeder."_

" _Wait, how do you know what the kitchen looks like?" May it be rude of me for interrupting her life's story, I stilled wanted to know how she knew. The Keep's kitchen was, as she said, fit for a king's cook, stocked with plethoras of spices, meats, cheeses, vegetables, fruits, pots and pans, fireplaces, chopping tables, knives, and all other forms of kitchen accessories._

" _What do you think I was doing when you were having a nap out in the Hall?" She sheepishly grinned, but her crimson lined eyes were still laced with tears._

' _Besides my little adventures around the Keep," she took a deep pull from the air, pulling all the crap in her nose right back up to wherever it came from," which I will say is quite the labyrinth, I need to finish my story, a piece by yours truly." She'd lifted her right hand of the top of the fireplace and gave it a twirl of the wrist, she slightly crunched her legs as if to bow down like a bard, but not much else to really give grace to her own renown, which was limited to only the two other people in the room._

" _So, as I was, I went through the house and just did some general snooping. Other than just the earlier rooms, I had found a few bedrooms, a basement, which oddly enough had a whole forge within, and the room in which I found the so called "Wolf". The room had a set of double doors that was double that of what a normal pair of double doors looks like."_

" _She was a beast to reckon with, as Zarcath mentioned, she was really the size of a horse if not, but only slightly, bigger. First time I saw her I was in awe at her beauty. The fresh snow white fur , the crimson streaks around the eyes, and her strong and curvy body, with the exception of her round belly filled with pups. I had even gone as far as to change myself into a slight image of her after time went by. Before that, she was quite calm with my intrusion into her room. I've seen females try to kill anything that dared to linger near them during pregnancy so I found it hard to take a step in when she didn't make even the slightest of growls at seeing me."_

" _So I just closed the door on her, it wasn't like I needed to be in there, there wasn't any pups to hide myself amongst. That, of course, had left me a bit worried about my plans now. The vision had told me that I needed to blend in with the pups whenever they were born. Well seeing as the wolf was still pregnant, I'd have to wait, but where was I to go till the birth. I couldn't travel to far out to the point I couldn't easily get back to the house in a hurry, I couldn't sleep in a cave for that exact reason and that I didn't even know if there was a free cave around these parts."_

" _Then I got a smart idea," she tapped the side of her head with a finger," I'd just camp it out in the house. The place had food, shelter, and before I had entered, I had even seen a nice looking river right behind the house to supply myself with water, however, looking back behind the house had left me disturbed when I saw a skeleton lying out on a table, scorching in the sun, but overall it didn't faze me. Only problem was this breeder was obviously coming back home at some point and probably wouldn't want me living it out in his basement."_

" _I started going back through rooms looking for crevices and hidey holes to wait it out for however long till the birth. It was only after a few hours that I could tell that no part of the house either went unused or was good enough to hide in. So I started thinking up even more outrageous ideas, beining myself and asking for shelter, playing myself off as a orphan, saying I lost my parents to some bandits , or, the craziest of all, shifting into a baby wolf and seeing if he'd take me in. The last one stuck out because whoever this breeder guy was, he was still a breeder, maybe he'd take me in to either sell me, or if he wasn't a kind man, I assumed he'd try to using me for breeding later down the line, only he'd never get to see the end of it if I had anything to do about it."  
_ " _So I decided on shifting in the end, I'd only done it on a rare occasions, had there been a more assured way as to stay near the house in comfort I would have taken it. Seeing as I have whatever I have," she lifted her right arm up from her side and extended it up to about chest level. Right before our eyes her nails had become black and then they started to become bulkier and a curve began as they seemed to push off of her fingers. After a few seconds, her fingernails had turned into that of a dog's claws, they had a sharper point to their ends than a normal dogs, she retracted her arm to her side where she lazily swayed it back and forth._

 _She never finished what she was going to say. She just stood next to the fire and continued to look into what was now just a few flames that held onto their last bits of life._

 _I looked over to Shanna, she was actually closer to the girl, looked like she'd had balled her eye's out, her eyes ringed in red. Although, assuming she'd already heard this once, maybe her emotions still got the best of her. Hey, I'm not saying that mine aren't any different, I had found sympathy for her. The fa_ _ct that she'd been abandoned by her parents, lived alone for sixteen years, and had probably never made a friend in her life. I could only sympathize with her on one of those._

 _Shanna shuffled over to the girl, wrapping her arms around her waist and leaning into her neck. The girl had stiffened in return at the sudden presence of Shanna's embrace. A minutes hold fixed that and she finally sank into Shanna. Oh how the tables had turned._

" _So, as you were saying?"_

" _I...another time...it's almost time for you guys to head off anyways."_

" _How do you know what time it is?" I looked around for a window of sorts to see what it was like outside, nothing. I looked to the door, just barely making it through a crack between the door itself and the floor, a dim light lingered at the mouth of it._

" _Do you not know how time works in your own dreams?" Whatever sadness that had lingered just moments ago was replaced by curiosity and eagerness.  
_ " _No, not really, I never bothered keeping track of time, it could have been day or night here and I'd still wake up."_

" _Well, just so you know, when it's night here it's morning in the real world, when it's day here its night there. "_

" _You learn something new everyday it'd seem. So how much time do we have?" Going off of what she said, we had what was probably a few hours till night, but then again I just got here minutes ago and it was already 'night' here._

" _Let me check." she wiggled out of Shanna's arms, who made sure to slightly protest her escape, and went over to the door._

 _Shanna was so weird, even though she show'd how offset she was with wolf girl molesting her, she was able to forgive her after rehearing the girls story. Or maybe I was just rude, maybe I had striked to fast when I saw how scared she looked in the moment. Probably could have avoided Wolf girl's story had I held my tongue._

 _She grabbed the knob, twisted, and opened the the door, letting in the orange glow of the sun. Outside it was considerably dark, the sun was dipping down into the tree line, leaving the courtyard/ town center casted in shadows but dotted with braziers and torches to keep it alight. Yet, what houses that had been made as tall as the trees had their roofs bathed in the orange glow._

" _Looks like we got about an hour or two left, and before you say anything. No, that's not enough time…" She closed the door, it looked like she was going to go back to Shanna but instead turned left after she passed Shanna's chair and went to flop down a bed as she closed the distance. She dropped down on it and allowed for the bed to make a dull creak as all her weight moved through the frame. Shanna had moved back into her chair and gave me a 'what now' stare, I wish I knew, I just returned a shrug of the shoulders. Looked like we'd get a whole two hours of silence then._

 _Maybe I could start my great walk home, wherever that was, because I was gonna need a damn good head start unless tomorrow I woke up in the castle. I bet the whole city is going mad now that their queen was missing without explanation._

" _You never gave me a name you know." I had gone back to looking at the fire, but now I looked back to the bed. The girl had changed positions, she had her arms and head tucked into a pillow with her eyes just glancing over, and now here she was at the foot rest and not the head rest. Her voice hung in despair and what little of her face I saw looked just as lax._

" _Give you a name, don't you already have one?" What type of person didn't already have a name?_

" _Remember, never met my parents, even if they gave me one I can't remember it."_

" _You've gone sixteen years without a name, an identity, not even a mark of who you are?" Shanna turned in her chair to join the conversation._

" _Not exactly, I've gone by many names, street urchin, whore, monster, thief….murderer. I've got my collection of titles, just not an actual name. Seeing as I finally found myself new friends and masters, I thought maybe you guys could give me a name." A monster, a thief, a murderer, a collection of titles that could only be earned through the actions they entitle._

" _Not once have you considered giving yourself a name, I'm sure you've heard enough to pick from?"_

" _Nope, and your right, I've heard so many different names and yet when I rolled the sound of them across my tongue, none felt special or unique. So maybe you could come up with something?" She finally pulled her face out of the pillow and propped herself up by her elbows._

 _Something unique, if she really wanted something unique it was probably gonna turn out to be some crazy ass name like my own. However mother and father coming up with that must have involved a shit ton of drinking._

 _Wait, we could actually do that? It'd probably be a longshot but it'd be better than spending more time scribbling down random bits of words till they sounded like a name._

 _I cracked a smile, it'd been only a day or two since I last got wasted. Thankfully getting wasted here didn't leave me with an insane hangover back outside the dreams._

" _Well than, if we're going to be picking out a name for you, we're going to need a lot of ale, maybe some wine if anyone else is in the mood! Oh, and we're going to need the strongest stuff you got!" I let my enthusiasm show as I gave a mischievous grin and got up to go looking for cups. Since the house was literally one room, it wasn't that hard to spot a stack of mugs piled on top the nearby dining table._

" _Oh gods," she gave a exaggerated huff from the bed," I think we might have a few kegs left from the raid and I have a bottle of wine from a previous journey into someone else's dream. Shanna, if you could, go outside, go over to the store house and see if Grandes is willing to part with...how many we gonna need, one, two, three kegs?"_

" _Three, definitely." I hurryingly stepped over to the table, maintaining the excitement in my voice._

" _Yeah, so just ask for three, if he doesn't part with them then just tell him he'll get double, what he gives us, on the next raid." I took the top three mugs off the stack and set them out on the table, now I just needed a smaller table._

" _I don't even drink though, even Ash doesn't, so why so many?!" Shanna had opened the door and already had one foot out as she asked. I turned away from her so she couldn't see any part of my face; my smile grew wider, I bit down on my left hand to keep from laughing. The fact that I'd suggested getting wasted and that hadn't tipped her off was going to kill me. All I had to do was act like it was my first time drinking when we started and then I'd be clear._

" _Well, then tonight's the night that you both started drinking!" Wolf girl popped up off her bed and started pushing her bed off to the side, Shanna didn't even bother closing the door as she shambled out. My own joy must have been rubbing off on Wolf girl. Her pace like that of mine, her own joyus grin, and what looked like determination to make due on her statement seemed to show._

 _I grabbed a stool that had been off to the side of the fireplace, about as tall as the bed and it looked big enough for the mugs to set on, perfect. I set it where the bed's footrest had originally been, in case we moved the bed back, and repositioned my chair on the side with the fire at my back and Shanna's with her back to the door, Wolf girl could continue to use her bed to sit on._

" _You need any help with whatever it is that your doing?" I flopped onto the bed and peered over the side, she was wedging away at a crack in the floorboards with a dagger she had produced from nothingness. Unless she kept one under her dress or maybe between her boobs, like I said, she had'em big._

" _Ah, not really, I should have it pried off in a sec." Yet, a second turned into a minute and a minute turned into minutes. Shanna must have been fighting whoever Grandes was since she still hadn't made it back. Actually, how did Shanna even know where to go to find the guy? Unless Wolf girl gave out a tour before I arrived, I was pretty sure we'd be waiting quite sometime before Shanna returned._

" _Ya know, I don't think I ever got an apology for getting stabbed in the chest?" Was it wrong to start trouble? Probably._

" _And I don't think that we've had sex yet, but you don't hear me complaining." Oh gods, why did I even agree to that._

" _Hey," I gave a anxious laugh," so you wanna make a deal. So, maybe, in return for me possibly forgetting that you stabbed me to death, we could totally forget about everything that happened last time. I honestly don't think we could have met on any worse terms."_

" _I could think of dozens of worse terms we could have met on, I could've of thought of some particularly fun ones to. Like meeting in a tavern, fighting a bunch of trolls, slaying a dragon, maybe some spontaneous sex in Diabella's temple while roleplaying as her priestesses." She looked up from the boards and gave a scandalous lick of the lips before returning to continue her prying of the boards._

" _Believe me, getting wasted in a tavern would have been preferable. Fighting trolls, slaying a dragon, and what I'd assume to be your own little fantasy, doesn't sound like a good first time encounter."_

" _Really, you wouldn't want to go do any of that stuff, not even a bit of roleplaying!?" Her questionable excitement must have worked its way into her hands as the board finally popped up and out of place. Wolf girl dropped the dagger as the leverage disappeared and I pulled up the covers to defend myself as the board went flying towards the ceiling. I gave a shriek of fear, I didn't want to get hit in the head with a piece of wood! The plank hit the ceiling and came shooting right back down from where it popped out._

" _Oh shit!" Wolf girl threw herself over the top of the hole, taking the plank right on the back with a loud, THHNNKK! She let out a moan into the hole, that had incited laughter to rise up from me again._

" _Jeez, you ok?" I threw the cover off my head and leaned over to watch as she lifted her head out of the hole._

" _Perfectly,"she rolled onto her side and rubbed at her back with her right hand," but the wine wouldn't have been if not for myself."_

" _And so the wine is more valuable than your own life?"_

" _Well of course not...actually….yeah, nevermind, it kind of is, I didn't even tell you the pain in the arse I went through to get this." She finally reached into her stash, which was almost a stash fit for a pirate, a particularly small time pirate, probably more so a bandit. Besides the long necked bottle she was drawing out; there were dozens of small sacks of golden coins, necklaces and amulets of amber, jade, azule, a dagger that looked as black as the night itself, a couple of wooden jars with their lids still on, and a leather bound book, filled the stash to its brim._

" _Your gonna have to kill me before you can touch any of my stash." She slammed the floorboard back into place, breaking my line of sight with her loot._

" _You know, you said that Shanna and I were your new masters. I could always just order you to let me take your booty."_

" _Don't worry Ash, you don't have to order me to let you take my booty, I'll give it to you anytime you want." Yeah, that didn't sound right, and it was my mistake for ever reading books about pirates like Haknir Death-Brand. She got on her elbows and knees and pivoted so her ass was facing me, a turn of the head and a cheeky smile accompanied it. Thank the gods she had been wearing loose clothes, only an outline of the top of her butt was actually clear._

" _And here I was thinking you were going to stop after I specifically said to stop being so 'outgoing'." I schootched backwards till my feet dangled off the side of the bed, planting my feet the on the floor before getting off._

" _Well, I'm pretty sure you didn't say that, and like_ _ **I**_ _said when we first met, I know you like it. I'll try to tone it down when were in public, but seeing as, unless we leave the castle, I'll be stuck as a wolf most of the time, it shouldn't be a problem." She took the wine bottle and threw it onto the bed before grabbing the bed by its post and dragging it back across the floor to where it originally sat._

" _Who's to say that you'll have to stay as a wolf in the castle. It's not like we could just tell my father that you really are just some shape shifter or Illusionists and that your in need of a home. Zarcath joined our court that way, well, minus the illusionist and shape shifter stuff. He'd been an orphan, from what my father says, and father had adopted him as his own. I don't see why we couldn't just pull something like that." I walked back to my chair and sat down, the hardness of the wood suddenly having a profound effect on my butt. "Hey, throw me one of your pillows, would you?"_

 _She crawled up onto the bed and grabbed one of the pillows at the headrest, throwing it hard enough to make me tip the chair back by a bit on impact._

 _Coming back to the footrest, she propped herself up on her elbows, "I'm sure that'll work perfectly fine! Dearest father, my pet wolf turns out to be a very volupscious woman, can she join our court! Yeah, no, I may not be finely educated, but I've been through enough knowledgeable minds that I can understand why your father wouldn't accept me. I'd assume he'd take me for a spy or maybe a werewolf version of a hagraven!" Her ears spasmed while her tail wiped wildly around, she bared her teeth and flashed her clawed hands at me._

 _I leaned forward with a grin, "For a person who claims to be "knowledgeable", you spin a pretty_ _ **crazy**_ _sounding tale of a monster."_

" _You just stick to thinking of me as the crazy dog lady who's horney all the time. I want to be able to see the surprise on your face when I do something_ _ **crazy**_ _smart or_ _ **crazy**_ _awesome!" She threw out her finger in a jabing motion at me trying to exaggerate her speech._

" _Well, then how bout we just bring you in as an orphan? Not to be rude, but your already one so it's not like we'd be lying and it wouldn't be that hard to just take you out of the castle as a wolf and then come back in, you wearing some torn up clothes, back in your human form, and just present you to father. I don't think it'd be that hard to persuade him to let you join the court. Like I said, almost like Zarcath."_

" _And what if I don't want to be apart of his court to begin with, what if I want to be loyal to just you and Shanna?"_

" _I really don't see any other way for you to be allowed to live in the keep then. You either need to be apart of the court or someone with a pretty hefty title that father's willing to let stay, if you do want to wander around as a yourself."_

 _The cogs in her mind must have started to turn as she gained a distant stare and a frown across her brow. "The dream killer, the wolven goddess, the jarl of dreams, the mistress of the wilds…" her lips mouthing the rest of the titles I couldn't hear._

" _No, no, no, father's not going to fall for something as stupid as that, it's not like anyone's ever heard of those titles anyways."_

" _And just like that, your really helping me prove my point you know, just another idea shot down. Also," she reached her hand to her butt and brought it back up with a very dog like tail," how do you plan to explain this?"_

" _Fine, so we'll just stick to keeping you in your wolf form, but maybe we could work something out in the future. Also, going back to what you said,what do you mean by, "...loyal to just you and Shanna." I'm having troubles understanding how, with all that's happened in the past day, you feel entitled to be throwing yourself at our feet?_

 _She sat up on the bed, legs criss crossed, a pillow in her lap, "Well, I can tell you something, your completely wrong about me throwing myself at your feet. That must be how my kindness looks to you, but I really don't take kind to the whole hierarchy thingy. But, when I say loyalty, I mean I'll serve you in a….friendly capacity. I've got no blooded family left and you guys are the closests things to friends I've ever had. So, if it means playing submissive in the bed for awhile just to keep you guys, I'll do that."_

" _Ok, maybe not friends, it's been a few hours, right? At least to me I don't really see you as a friend. I see the other kids in the keep as friends, but even that's a strain to call them that. You and me, I'll go as far as to say we're acquaintances."_

" _After all I've done for you, and your turning me down." She huffed into the pillow._

" _Name one positive thing you've done for me since we've met!?"_

" _I've offered you my body, isn't that enough!"_

" _I don't want your body! And what makes you think that giving me your body is a positive thing!?"_

" _I'm probably one of the hottest girls you've ever met! You can't tell me that having some fun with me wouldn't be a positive thing!"_

" _Just because your sexy doesn't mean I want to have sex with you!"_

" _Got you!" She yelled at me with a grin on her face._

" _What do you mean you got me! You didn't even name a positive thing you've done!"_

" _Now I know that you think I'm sexy, it's only a matter of time before I have you begging for me!" She started to maniacally laugh._

" _I will never come begging for your body and you can be damn well sure of that."_

" _Like I said, it's only a matter of time."_

" _Whatever." So she was going to try and get to my heart through my sex, what a great way to start a friendship! Shanna hadn't even tried to use her body to be my friend, it was only after her parents were kicked out and years had pass did we make any major connection._

 _I started to intensely stare at wolf girl, just sat and stared at her cheek bones, her dashing red streaks, and bone white hair, all framed by the light of the fireplace._

" _Ash….whatcha got cookin in that mind of yours?" I kept still._

" _No, no answer, ok, well I guess you won't mind if…", she cupped her hands around her mouth "_ _ **I STRIP OFF MY CLOTHES!**_ "

" _ **DID SOMEBODY SAY STRIP!**_ " _I wiped my head to the door, surprisingly, the voice outside breaking me from Wolf girl's face._

 _A rush of footfalls, accompanied by a familiar string of laughter, came rushing at the door. THUNK, the door flew open, and a troll of a figure stepped into the room._

" _Where's the naked women at!"_

" _Sorry to disappoint you Grandes, but no boys allowed in my club." Wolf girl said, I looked upon the now illuminated Grandes._

 _For starters, he was a friging ork, although, he didn't look anything like Moth. Where Moth had short stubes for tusks, Grandes had tusks that almost reached his eyes. Grandes also let his hair grow long and loose, some strands laiden with beads. He was defiantly ripped, wearing only a simple set of brown trousers and leaving anything above the waist to the sight of others. Well, there was a slight similarity he and Moth shared, their light green skin._

" _Ah, come on mistress, it has been months since we've had any_ _ **true**_ _fun, just let me join on for the drinking, you won't even know I'm here!" He covered his eyes with his hand and slightly parted his fingers with a smile; two kegs hit the floor with a clatter._

" _That's the exact reason I don't want you here tonight. I won't be able to enjoy myself knowing that I'll have to protect our guests from you all night. And please don't damage the goods, we're definitely going to need those tonight."_

" _Wooohhh!" Shanna slid off Grande's back as the ork leaned over and set the kegs up right. She spun around a few times towards the bed, the trim of her white shirt twirled up an inch to reveal the skin of her stomach. "Oh crap!" She came to her final twirl and started falling towards me and like fast, really fast. Before I could even thrust my hands out to stop her: her face was smashed into my chest._

" _FFFUUCCCKK!" My chest flared up in pain; god's damned knife. But instead of pushing Shanna off I clutched her head tighter to my chest thinking the pressure would dull the pain._

" _ASH, LET GO!" Shanna's muffled scream sounded, but I still didn't let go. Surprisingly, the pressure was helping but her squirming was annoying._

" _Well Grandes, I think it's about time you go." I looked over at Wolf girl who was standing up and moving towards the ork, and then I looked at the ork and knew why she was ushering him out. The man was intimately licking his lips and making some very lewd gestures with his hands._

" _NO, PLEASE MISTRESS, JUST FOR TONIGHT!" Wolf girl was actually grappling the ork out of the room, one hand lodged behind his back and the other being forced up into the air._

" _NO, NO, AND IF YOU DIDN'T HEAR ME THE FIRST TIME! NNNNOOOO!" She dropped both of his hands and kicked him right in the back and out the open door. The orks exit was followed with the sound of tumbling, the door slamming shut, and a dozen locks locking into place. Wolf girl placed both hands on the door, took in one of the loudest breaths I've ever heard and pushed off._

" _OK, so now that the pervs gone, let's get started! Also, you should probably let Shanna go." I looked down, Shanna was completely still in my grasp. Dammit, I let go and her head sat lax against my breast. By the time wolf girl got to her bed Shanna's head started to tilt up._

" _Hey Ash," her mismatched eyes became visible,"am I just a toy for women." Her voice came out flat and deathly. I actually laughed, and I wasn't the only one, both Shanna and Wolf girl cracked up. In no time all three of us were wheezing and gasping for air._

" _No Shanna, your not just a toy."_

" _Thanks for the assurance." She got up and moved to her chair, the remnants of joy sprawled across her face._

" _Ok, so we only just wasted a crap ton of time, so can we start like right now!" Before I knew it I had a mug thrusted into my hands and a very excited Wolf threatening to kill me if I didn't drink. But after the past day, you didn't need to threaten me to get drunk._

" _Do I have to drink, because I'm not really the drinking type?" Wolf girl was mid pour on her own mug when she looked over at Shanna._

" _You know this is a dream?"_

" _So?"_

" _Soooo if your worried your gonna get a hangover, you can stop your worries now." Oh no, here we go._

" _No, it's just that I don't like to drink. I've had both wine and ale before but no matter what the type they've never caught my attention. Don't you have something like water or some juices….something for kids?" I slightly gripped my mug harder and sipped at wine, it tasted just like Moonlight's Shadow, but I was ready for the tension that was about to explode._

 _Wolf girl had slowly set down her mug and the bottle of wine onto the small stool between us. She looked up at Shanna, an almost painful looking smile plastered on her face. Shanna took to the the defensive and pulled her legs to her chest as she cowered in Wolf girl's stare._

" _Well I can assure you that this wine will suit your fancy."_

" _Please, I'll just take a water." Shanna was squeezed so hard into the chair it looked like it was gonna going flying backwards if she put the rest of her body into it._

" _No really, I insist, as your host I strongly suggest that you drink the wine I so graciously provided you with." She finished with a giggle, who the fuck laughs about forcing some to drink._

" _Shanna just drink the wine." I said, be it out of the fact wolf girl was probably going to murder us or I was just creeped out, I'd prefer to go back to having a good time._

" _Ash you don't even drink!" I broke a slight smile from behind my mug and cut eye contact with her, she was gonna find out sooner or later._

" _Wow, how long have you been keeping that from me!"_

" _Honestly, it isn't that big of a deal, it's not like I'm drinking all the time, it's just on special occasions."_

" _What do you mean it's not a big deal, you've been_ _ **lying**_ _to_ _ **me**_ _for however gods damn long! If you'd told me you drank than I would have been ok with that, but now I know you were lying to me when I'd ask if you drank!" Oh god, how the tables had turned._

" _Ok, I'm sorry I never told you the truth but that's only because I thought this would happen. I didn't want to end up fighting with you on something as stupid as whether or not I drank an ale or two." Shanna continued to stare me down, whatever danger wolf girl was posing wasn't as great as my lie to her._

" _So lovebirds, I know you'd really love to keep fighting but we really need to knock this out before it's time to wake up!"_

" _Are you serious right now, do you really have to be an ass like that." Looks like I was wrong, Wolf girl still managed to make herself the threat._

" _If it'll get you to drink yourself loose."_

" _Honestly, fuck both of you." Shanna picked up the mug and took a long pull, her face turning sour when she finished her pull. Wolf girl, clearly pleased, picked back up her own mug and started drinking._

 _What followed was what felt like an hour of silence and trying to get shit faced. That entire time, instead of thinking of names, I just kept thinking of how bad I fucked up. It was like my own heart decided to go and stab itself. What I thought had just been a minor lie had turned out to be a major one, I wish I would've told her the truth before she started asking._

 _If I could get this wasted then there was no way I wasn't going to have a hangover. I couldn't even remember before now and after we drank._

" _A-LI-CI-A!"_

" _NO, IT'S TO LLLOOONNNGG!" I snapped back to the girls, Shanna half bent over the bed and Wolf girl laying down on the bed with a keg clasped to her chest._

 _I looked down into my mug, empty, where the heck was the other keg? I grabbed the edge of the bed and attempted to stand up, but my legs gave out right after I took my first step. The floor came rushing at me but I threw my hands at it before it could slam into my face. Ok, a bit to drunk, I looked around the floor for the other keg._

" _Hoow bout CASSEY!?"_

" _NO, TO MANY S'S!"_

 _No, to much yelling, I peered over to the fire place where a scatter of small wooden boards laid. Was that the keg, I don't remember anyone destroying it!? I grabbed the edge of the bed and pulled myself up onto it, clawing at the covers to pull my lower half onto it. Fricken legs just shook and gave out anytime I tried pushing up._

" _Hear me out, hoow bout, LYDIA!?"_

" _NO, I MET A LYDIA BEFORE, SHE WAS REALLY NICE!"_

 _After a few strained kicks of my legs I was able to get my whole body onto the bed. I crawled towards wolf girl till I was laying right next to her. I slung a arm over the keg, falling on top of her twined hands._

" _CAN I HELP YOU!" She shouted right into my ear._

" _I need some more." My voice started to fade, and I could finally feel myself starting to hit my low._

" _GIVE ME A NAME AND I'LL GIVE YOU THE KEG!" Just shut up and I'll gladly give you a name. Gods, now I wished I had thought about a name, something not long, doesn't have to many s's, and someone she's never met….._

" _Akila." I gripped my fingernails into the cracks of the barrel and started to pull, but she kept her grip on the barrel._

" _A-ki-la…" I retracted my hand and let it collapse to my side, she wasn't gonna give up the barrel. In no time I'd already forgotten about the ale and was ready to sleep. Maybe everything will blow over by the morning._


End file.
